An Unfortunate Blessing
by Mireilles3
Summary: Months after Bespin, Luke and Vader crash on Forceless Myrkr. Badly injured, the young Jedi unfortunately finds himself dependent on the Sith's help to survive both the forest's fauna and the Emperor's actions against both father and son. The hunt is on! Will that stop father and son from ever reconciling? Read and find out! L/V drama, angst, family, friendship. Please, R and R!
1. Chapter 1

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

2001/2012

* * *

Good afternoon everyone!

Here is the third of eleven stories that I feel like writing, but can't decide which to work on first. Can you help me figure out that answer?

The story with the most readers and reviews will be my next project in the works. Since it can take a few parts before we finally get to the crux of some stories, I won't check the final tally right from the start. However, only the total of both reviews and ongoing readers will determine which story I'm going to work on first, so, if you like this one, leave a review to vote for it

Thanks for your help! Hope you enjoy this story as well!

If you do, please, share your thoughts!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Luke frowned, his blue gaze locked on the main viewport of his stolen shuttle before he returned it to the scanners and the electronic image of a star destroyer and its accompanying squadrons.

This was 'just' his luck, or else the Force was not with him today.

He had just barely escaped from yet another group of bounty hunters and had been flying for high orbit and hyperspace when a star destroyer had arrived in the system, along with interdictors.

In short, the odds were once again against him escaping Vader, and personally, he did not want to face his father again, nor ever, if that could be possible.

He pushed the main drive to its limits, flying the ungainly stolen ship as best as he could, trying to stay away from the star destroyer's vicinity.

He had almost broken free of the interdictors' influence on the navicomputer when a prickly feeling of forewarning appeared at the nape of his neck. When he had been a mere farm boy, he had only thought that his nervousness had given him Goosebumps then and again, but now, as a quasi-Jedi, he knew better than to misinterpret this message from the Force.

He cursed vehemently even as he swivelled his seat toward the starboard viewport.

Imperial TIE fighters flew right in his line of visions, catching up with him after picking up speed by flying around the planet that now floated between them and the threatening star destroyer. They had obviously used the astral object to cover their flight path.

"Come on!" Luke pleaded the Force as he pulled evasive manoeuvres that should have been impossible to accomplish with his stolen ship.

He also called on the Force to activate the array of guns that protruded from the uneven hull, intending to at least shoot even though he couldn't aim while piloting.

Still, although he caught the worst pilots with his first salvos, the remaining pilots did not fall for his defensive fire and simply slipped past his blind aims before they incapacitated his meagre defense with accurate shots of their own.

Through it all, the star Destroyer slid closer and closer to the foray until the Jedi could Feel the ominous presence that was yet again after him.

Never again! Luke silently defied his would-be tormentor/father, and then completely abandoned himself to the Force, allowing it to flow through him, guiding him in his frantic flight for freedom.

If only Han were there, he thought, a temporary sadness filling him at the thought of his missing friend. Ever since the events of Bespin, he had spent much time wondering about Vader and himself, but even though he weren't as affected by Han's lost as Leia was, he still really missed the older man.

If only he had been able to save him... If only Vader had not used Han and Leia as bait for-

Belatedly, he realized that he had been so focused on his suddenly glum thoughts that he had unconsciously lowered his defences; a TIE fighter shot right past all his defences and straining shields and shot the ship in the stern.

"No..." he barely whispered in horror, understanding all too late what had happened to him just seconds before.

Vader.

Vader had invaded his mind and had distracted him long enough for one of his minions to disable him permanently.

As if in answer to his deduction, Vader's voice shocked him still even as an icy cold feeling of dread ran through him. *There is no escape this time, my Son.*

Apparently in agreement with the other's statement, the engines of his escape ship whined in complaint about their actual treatment, and then completely died on him.

Vader had won... and despite Luke's growing strength and forced maturing since Bespin, the youth knew that he was no match for Vader yet. That was why he had fervently hoped never to confront him until he'd completed the training.

But now, with this final sound of defeat, all his hopes had been crushed again-

No, he refuted his previous judgment; he would not give up! Not this time! Not ever!

Aware that he couldn't do anything further to prevent his being boarded, he prepared for the next phase of his resistance against Vader's plans.

The battle was not over yet, he promised both himself and the approaching Dark Lord, who was undoubtedly eavesdropping on him.

* * *

Long minutes later, the ship had been forced down into a hangar bay aboard the star destroyer and the shrill sound of a laser cutter filled the otherwise deserted corridor as the imps cut their way aboard. Luke had elicited to take position inside the corridor that led to the cockpit, forcing the troopers to funnel up before they came up against him.

Normally, that should make it easier for him to take them down.

Luke clutched his lightsaber tighter, doing his best to ignore the jubilant voice of his father in his head. He would die before falling again in his claws, he promised himself. He would never, ever allow him to take him alive again.

Finally, the ramp lowered; through the Force, Luke felt that ten troopers were climbing aboard the ship. The first wave, he thought grimly.

The said first wave quickly came up at the end of the long corridor and aimed stun bolts at him. He easily blocked them and even sent them back toward his attackers.

Desperate to postpone the moment that he would either face Vader or die at the enemy's hands, Luke fought like never before: he deflected bolts, slashed, kicked and pushed with the Force, not even sparing a moment to regret his lethal use of his lightsaber when he cut down a trooper.

From outside, Vader tried to disturb him and break his concentration, but the youth was too focused to be upset by anything, not even his own uptight morals – or his previous desire to die instead of being captured.

Luke, for his part, held his ground and even managed to shrug off the effects of the stun bolts with the help of the Force. Seeing this, the troopers resumed firing at him with regular energy bolts.

He also deflected those back into them, his lightsaber creating a seemingly impenetrable barrier of light between him and his enemies.

Long minutes later, piles of white armors were blocking the corridor, and Luke began to wonder how it would end - when his answer came in the form of his arch nemesis.

His father.

The moment that the dark-clad and giant silhouette appeared around the bend of the corridor, Luke felt his blood freeze in his veins and his thoughts screeched to a halt. Vader was still his better, he thought in growing dread.

Like the other had told him on Bespin, he wasn't a Jedi yet.

While the Sith calmly walked past the suddenly still troops and closer to his quarry, Luke reflexively took one step backward- and then caught himself and crushed his fear with a surge of fresh determination.

Father or not, stronger or not, Vader would not capture him again. Never!

"I see that you've grown since Bespin, Son," the other commented casually, almost proudly as he walked ever closer to him.

Luke didn't answer and backed away while Vader strode toward him, keeping the distance between them steady.

"It is over, Son, and there is no escape this time," the Sith Lord stated with finality, turning on his blood red lightsaber as he did so. "Come quietly, and you won't be harmed."

It is over, Luke mulled over that word for a second, and, too late, he realized that Vader had, yet again, been meddling with his thoughts so that, this time, he didn't think about anything 'but' defending his life. Using subtle pushes that kept arousing his defiance and determination, he had been steering his thoughts away from his true intentions of committing suicide instead of facing his father again.

Worse, he had also been testing his skills, curious to see if he changed since Bespin.

That cursed..., he glared silently at him while he made up him true mind, for real this time.

Never again, Luke swore on his mother's grave.

He silently swung at his adversary, catching Vader by surprise. The Jedi thus forced the Sith to duck, and, while the other was unbalanced, Luke completed the rotation of his wrist and moved so as to take off his own head with his blade.

He was more than ready to welcome death, the only freedom that he could now hope for- when a trooper's body was suddenly shoved into his legs.

It was his turn to be caught unprepared and he tripped ungracefully over his own feet before he crashed hard on his right side and back, his lightsaber instantly skittering away and toward his captor. He had barely recovered from his rough landing that he frantically called for it- and stilled as he spotted both Vader's and his blade aimed at his legs from a most unpleasant distance.

He knew all too well that Vader would not kill him but could still keep him from fighting further.

"I don't want to hurt you, Son," he warned him, moving the red blade closer still to Luke's left thigh-

Flashes of his previous and indescribable experience of agony at the other's hands came back to him and he froze in horror. Not again..., he prayed the Force. Please, not again...

"That will depend on your attitude, young Jedi," the other answered him meaningfully, stepping closer than ever to him while maintaining the blades' distance with his vulnerable limbs.

Luke reflexively pulled himself backward- until he was pressed up against the cold bulkhead of the main corridor. Vader held his blades on both sides of his legs, efficiently discouraging from moving again.

"Enough, child. Surrender calmly and all will be well."

For a long second, Luke stared hard at him, his mind replacing his perception of the present moment with his memories of the last times that he had faced similar offers from the Dark Lord.

He finally made his mind up about his Destiny.

"Never!" he spat in defiance even as he swiftly reached out and Force-pulled his blade upward and toward his heart.

Even though he was adamant that Vader had not had time to read his mind before he had acted, the dark Lord still Force-pushed his blade out of Luke's way fast enough to save him from his own destructive intentions- and then the boy's senses eluded him completely when Vader invaded his mind and knocked him unconscious.

The test was clearly over.

* * *

TBC

Well? How was that?

If you want more, you know what to do:) And if you don't want more because of bad characterizations, lack of detail, or anything that could help me improve this story into a more edible read, I'd still like to know why (via private messaging if you prefer). However, if you simply don't like this 'kind' of story, then don't worry. To each our own :)

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) Moreover, this time, they might make me work on this story first for the next year or so ;P So? Will you vote for it? I hope so!


	2. Chapter 2

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2012

* * *

Good afternoon everyone!

Here is the second part of the third of eleven stories that I feel like writing, but can't decide which to work on first. Can you help me figure out that answer?

Remember? The story with the most readers and reviews will be my next project in the works. So, if you like this one, leave a review to vote for it :D

Thanks for your help! Hope you enjoy this story as well!

If you do, please, share your thoughts!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Part 2: That wily little...

When they rendezvoused with Executor, the rebel Jedi was still out cold, which was exactly what Lord Vader had expected since he had set a veil over the youth's senses right after capturing him.

He had simply known better than to take any unnecessary risks with the wily young Jedi that was his son.

However, now that they had reached their destination – and the thousands of troops that would soon stand between Luke and escape – he decided that he could remove the veil. He would just not wake the boy yet, instead allowing him to recover his senses on his own and in due time.

There was no need to rush into yet another confrontation with the stubborn youth, he reminded himself; this time, he could prepare for it so as to 'finally' break through the boy that Kenobi had stolen from both him and his rightful destiny.

With that thought, he mentally checked on his inert captive one last time before focusing his whole attention on the landing procedures.

A minute later, the shuttle was down on the deck of his private hangar bay as well as shut down – yet another precaution he preferred to take with the rebellious boy – and he lowered the ramp to allow waiting troopers aboard.

As per his orders, they were ready for the boy and cuffed him with Jedi-proof bonds; they then pulled his slumped form off the co-pilot seat and carried him between them. Once at the ramp, they waited for their Lord to open the march, following him off the shuttle as per regular protocol.

Vader was pleased with himself. Everything was proceeding as he had planned: his son was finally in his custody once again, the rebellion didn't know that he had been captured, and once he was done transferring the boy to his private quarters, no one would remember his arrival aboard. That way, the Emperor would also be clueless-

Admiral Piett's presence suddenly entered his range of awareness and he stopped short, surprising the troopers with his abrupt halt. He had made sure that his most efficient commander yet would not be anywhere near his hangar bay during the delicate procedure, so what was 'he' doing here?

"Take the prisoner to my quarters and stay with him until I arrive. Your lives depend on his."

He then checked on the troublesome youth to make sure that he was still out cold for the duration before he hurried away from the hangar bay and went to Piett's meeting.

While most of his officers – past and present – were mere cogs in the imperial war machine, hence replaceable as far as he was concerned, Piett had proven to be of the very rare breed of officers that he could actually rely on. Such competence was so hard to find that he knew better than to kill him on a whim of bad temper.

As a result, he had made sure that Piett would not be involved in his secret operation, and would continue to remain as far away from him as possible until he was done 'eliminating' the incriminating proofs of his secret operation.

He walked in the opening turbolift even before Piett had taken a first step out of it. The smaller-yet-tall officer started in surprise but quickly recovered his composure and bowed crisply. "My Lord."

"What is it, Admiral. I gave specific orders not to be disturbed upon my return from my search for data."

"I... forgive me, my Lord. The Emperor commands that you contact him immediately and since the comm system is still dysfunctional, I preferred to deliver the message myself. I take full responsibility for disobeying you."

Palpatine, Vader sighed in annoyance, and then froze in concern. He knew... It was the only explanation why his master orchestrated such a perfect timing between a malfunctioning comm system and his return from a secret mission. He knew and he was already calling his bluff.

Or was he? He pondered carefully. After all, Vader had long-since learnt that Palpatine was not nearly as omniscient as he led everyone to believe, but still- He punched in the number of the closest deck with a proper communication station. "Apology accepted, Admiral Piett. Your loyalty will be rewarded."

When he, Darth Vader, would be Emperor, of course.

* * *

In the corridors that led from Lord Vader's private landing bay to his quarters, Luke slowly recovered his senses – and then snapped awake as he became aware of his predicament.

His first reaction was to reach out and open his cuffs, to no avail. His second one was to reach out again, this time toward one of his carriers; he used the trick Vader had inadvertently taught him just hours before and knocked the imperial unconscious with the Force. By the time that his weight pulled the Jedi free from the startled second carrier, Luke had called number one's gun to his hands and was shooting at the troopers that had been leading their group. The two front guards had barely began to crumple that Luke was turning toward the second carrier, who had yet to untangle himself from his weight.

Five seconds later, it was over and it was doubtful that the stormies had ever understood what had happened before he had reluctantly killed them.

Wary for further trouble, the youth carefully reached out; he sighed in relief when he failed to detect anyone's presence anywhere near his location. He turned his attention to his bonds; using the Force, and his adrenaline, he focused once again and, balancing his blaster between his legs, pulled the trigger with the Force, shooting his cuffs apart.

He then removed the armour from the nearest trooper and quickly put it on.

Unlike the last time that he had worn the armour, he knew how to behave in such disguise, therefore stood straight and tall after he put on the stuffy helmet. He also holstered his weapon as per usual protocol before he went back the way they'd apparently come from. He was aware that Vader's presence was above and several meters away from his current location and he intended to keep it that way.

The Force was 'indeed' with him – but he still shielded his Force-presence as much as he could.

However, when he reached the hangar bay he had known he'd find, his optimism faltered slightly as techs had already hooked the single shuttle to the fuelling system, making it unable to fly for now.

He quickly raked his mind for ideas and decided to find a Tie-Fighter bay. First, however, he needed to change disguise before stealing one of the trademark fighters.

Fortunately, the Executor was filled with such landing bays, and the Force was still with him for Vader appeared more than distracted even without focusing on his cold presence. He could still do this, he heartened himself.

He could still escape.

* * *

Once the communication room was evacuated as per Vader's command, the Sith Lord activated the high-security transmission device and knelt on the receiving pod. As with any similar devices that were installed in few communication rooms aboard all the destroyers, it received the Emperor's communication in a larger-than-life format so that the Sith Lord towered over anyone worthy of a direct communication with him.

Vader braced himself while closing his senses and shielding his thoughts as much as possible to avoid further exposure of his secret plans.

"How did you new quest go, my friend?" Palpatine inquired, and from his leer, Vader could tell that he already knew that he had lied to him about his intentions.

"It was unfruitful, my Master."

"Ah, so the boy eluded you once again? I wonder if your feelings on this matter are clear, Lord Vader," the other tested him further.

"They are clear, master. Skywalker will join us, or die."

"That is if you ever manage to capture him, of course. Unlike any other Jedi that you hunted before, this one seems to escape you a lot."

Vader almost breathed in relief when he realized that while Palpatine was suspicious of his motives, he was still merely worried that he did not want, in fact, to capture his son in any way.

The despot knew him less and less, it seemed - not that he complained about that devolution in their interactions.

Careful not to tip off the enemy about his true plans, Vader bowed forward again in a show of absolute subservience. "He is resourceful and very careful, my master. He doesn't overestimate himself the way surviving Jedi did, but the noose of my hunt his unavoidably tightening around him. Soon, he won't be able to elude me anymore."

"Make sure that it happens soon, lord Vader. My patience is wearing thinner with each passing day."

"It shall be as you wish, my master."

The communication then ended and Vader swiftly stood back to his feet. The Force was with him this time. Palpatine didn't suspect his plans to ally Luke to his projects, or even that the boy was-"

Even as he reached out to check on his precious captive – and realized that with the boy shielding himself and himself keeping his own senses in close check during his conversation with Palpatine, he had been unaware of Luke's attempt – and success - to escape.

The internal communication system was also still out of order, therefore no warning signal had gone off when the boy's plan had been uncovered.

He rushed out of the deserted communication room, his senses already reaching out toward Luke's.

"My Lord!" Piett called from right beside the door. "There is a situation in docking bay 93. A rebel has made his way aboard and has managed to board a shuttle with hyperspace capabilities. We are trying to stop him-"

"And failing miserably," he growled, shoving the slighter man out of his way as he made a bee-line for the nearest turbolift.

Kreth, that would teach him not to keep Luke under his direct supervision, Vader self-castigated himself. The boy didn't even need any help escaping anymore; he could do that on his own.

He reached out with the Force and contacted all his pilots at once: *Disable the stolen ship. Do not let him escape."

While his pilots started upon hearing his dreaded voice directly in their heads, they knew better than to focus on the unusual circumstances; they snapped into action.

* * *

Luke had barely managed to fly his captured shuttle out of the hangar bay that a horde of angry-feeling TIE Fighters came after him, instantly taking pot shots at his engines.

'Shooting to disable,' he realized even as he focused on the slow computer that still hadn't calculated a safe hyperspace route for him.

Aware that he couldn't hasten that process, he focused back on his flying and pulled evasive manoeuvres that the escort shuttle shouldn't have been able to survive, yet with a Jedi in the piloting seat, it did.

However, talented pilot or not, there were limits to what a single shuttle could do against several squadrons of TIEs and so, the imperials eventually managed to disable his hyperdrive completely, which then led his main engine to short-circuit due to its proximity to the hyperdrive.

Since Luke had been skimming the atmosphere of the nearest planetoid, intending to lead his less-skilled pursuants to fry themselves against the limits of its atmosphere, the moment that he lost his main engine, the planet's gravity took hold of him and pulled him down at a steep angle – too steep an angle for safety.

Without anything but the retrojets to slow his descent, the shields were quickly overtaxed and the hull began to heat up at an alarming rate.

That's when the young Jedi faced the incomprehensible: the Force abruptly left him to his own devices.

* * *

Aboard the Executor, Vader leaped into his TIE advanced and in pursuit of the youth that would learn, once he had him back in his grip, never to attempt escape again. While his son's success to escape again proved yet again that the boy's powers were growing stronger with every passing day, Vader was still furious that his son had once again given him the slip.

He had wanted to show some good will toward the captive Jedi..., and his attempt at kindness had backfired in a most spectacular fashion.

He should have left the veil in place until they were deep within his private quarters and out of anyone's sight, but he had once again been overconfident.

It would be the last time, he swore it on his wife's grave.

His fighter screamed out of the currently empty hangar bay, sounding as if it were in communion with his actual irritation.

Vader had barely begun to take stock of the situation out there when his son's presence unexpectedly vanished from his senses.

"Luke!" he yelled and frantically reached out. Nothing! No! How could it be! "Commanders, report! What happened to the rebel spy?"

"My Lord," one of his commanders answered, "The fugitive has been disabled, but he is headed for a crash landing on the planet. We are following in case he survives."

Crash landing? "Pull back and return to the Executor. Send a medical shuttle to my coordinates. I will take care of this rebel pest myself."

Even as he gave those orders, he pushed his fighter to its maximum speed while casting his senses as far and as wide as he could.

There was still no sign of his son anywhere, yet he could see his shuttle as it plummeted down toward the planet, an out-of-control point of fiery metalin the otherwise clear atmosphere. Force, he prayed in despair, let him be alive, please, let his son survive this!

He was reaching out toward the doomed shuttle to help his son- when the Force abandoned him without any warning whatsoever.

At first, he panicked, but right on the heels of that reaction, he remembered that he had once been introduced by the Emperor to a creature that could repel the Force from its surroundings.

Unfortunately, he had never been able to learn more than the name of the species – ysalamiri.

As he remembered that most unpleasant discipline from his early years as Vader, he understood that, although he had never planned it, he had just found the location of the world they originated from - the world that Palpatine had never revealed to him and had even been careful to erase from all databases.

Vader was just really unfortunate that this small victory over his soon-to-be ex-master also involved his son being in a dire predicament and his father being unable to help him like he normally could.

"Hang on, Luke. I'm coming," he said out loud for lack of his extra sense.

Ahead of him, the hull of the shuttle gradually recovered a more normal hue, but during its re-entry, it had lost several pieces of its navigation system; Vader realized that not even his son's piloting talents would save him from the unavoidable crash landing.

* * *

In the breached shuttle, fresh air drafted in and slid along Luke's unconscious features, ruffling his hair while tickling his sweat-soaked face and neck.

It was enough to pull the Jedi out of the semi-consciousness that had settled over him while he had struggled to breathe as the oxygen was quickly burnt out of the cockpit during his uncontrolled re-entry. Without the Force, he hadn't been able to do anything except survive for as long as he could.

His current circumstances then returned to him in a rush and he snapped awake, focusing his attention on the forward viewport. He cursed in fear and struggled with his crash webbing, securing it around himself as quickly as he could. The treetops were already scratching against his scorched hull and, although the trees were the tallest he had ever seen, he could only imagine that the ground was already much too close for comfort.

Then, there was no more time for thinking as the shuttle – or what was left of it – penetrated the dense foliage and began breaking through branches and whole tree boles.

Luke gripped his seat and the console as strongly as he could, barely sparing a thought to pray the Force to allow him to survive this.

* * *

From his higher point of view, Vader cursed in impotence while he watched his son's shuttle crash through the foliage until it finally came to a stop, but not before it rammed into the hard ground.

Although the leafy canopy was too thick for him to see all the way to the ground, the smoke that came from the crash site was unmistakable. He circled the area, checking on his sensors for any sign of his son, but other than the Executor in orbit and the squadrons that were still returning to it, his scanners didn't pick up any sign of life on the surface.

Since forests and jungles were never lifeless, he could only surmise that something in the flora or fauna was blocking his scanners just as the Force was blocked from him.

Marvelous, he grated, feeling like he was at the end of his short-fused patience.

He circled still, pondering his next move. He decided to call Executor and check on the status of his medvac ship, but the comm systems were still down aboard his flagship.

Growling in growing frustration, and promising that he would have more than one head for this, he made a sharp turn and decided to land despite the peculiarities of the jungle underneath. He 'had' to check on his son. He 'had' to.

He carefully chose a spot slightly away from the column of smoke that still rose from the crash site and quickly cleared himself a landing spot.

He was slowly landing, careful not to damage his ship against the remaining trees and vines – when a burst of fire and flames filled his forward viewport even as a shockwave threw his ship completely off kilter.

"LUKE!"

* * *

The crash landing had been rougher than rough, the strength of the first impact knocking Luke partly out of his seat even though he had been protected by restraints. The second impact had then torn his seat completely out of its mooring and he had crashed against the main console.

Somehow, he had managed to remain conscious.

Mostly.

Thus, he was quickly awakened when the warning signal went off, triggered as it was by the overheating engines. He painfully pushed himself off the console, undid his crash webbing, and then slowly stood up despite his numerous aches. Then, once he was more or less back on his feet, he turned his head and quickly surveyed the cockpit in search of the survival kit that should be within easy reach and sight. He found it and took a step toward it, only to collapse on a wrenched left ankle.

He was still reeling from that jolt of unexpected pain when the alarm signal changed pitch; he was running out of time!

Helping himself with whatever support he could find, he stood back up and, giving up on the surviving kit, he rushed toward the nearest possible exit.

He found it and squeezed through the only crack that was big enough for him, ignoring the shards of metal that tore right through his stolen flight uniform and the fragile skin underneath. With a gasp of pain, he finally extricated himself and clumsily stumbled out of the doomed ship.

Ignoring his painful ankle, he limped and staggered away as fast as he could from the doomed ship.

Then, he was out of time and the core of the engine reached critical; what remained of the shuttle exploded in all directions even as the resulting shockwave bowled him over. His head hit a large protruding root, the impact knocking him half-conscious - until a sharp and large wedge of metal embedded itself in his right thigh and pierced right through muscles and bones and all the way to the ground underneath him.

The blinding agony pulled him out of his torpor for a moment, and then it was too much too fast for his body and he fell unconscious for a while.

* * *

Recovering from his unforeseen crash, Vader easily cut himself an opening through his fighter's hull, gathered the survival kit and repair kit from his doomed ship, and then headed toward his son's last-known location.

What happened next was completely unexpected.

He had barely made it to the edge of his laser-shot clearing, which began at about fifteen meters away from his ship - that a turbolaser bolt turned his fighter – and a ten-meter radius of forest around it – into cinders.

By the time that Vader jumped back to his feet after faltering under the ensuing shockwave, he understood just 'what' had happened.

Executor had opened fire on him!

Palpatine! He then cursed and ran in Luke's direction as fast as his prosthesis would allow him.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that?

If you want more, you know what to do:) And if you don't want more because of bad characterizations, lack of detail, or anything that could help me improve this story into a more edible read, I'd still like to know why (via private messaging if you prefer). However, if you simply don't like _this_ _kind_ of story, then don't worry. To each our own :)

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) Moreover, this time, they might make me work on this story first for the next year or so ;P So? Will you vote for it? I hope so!


	3. Chapter 3

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2012

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor. After trying to recover him, they both ended up on Myrkr. There, Luke was grievously injured while Vader discovered that Palpatine had decided to end him. The then Forceless Vader barely escaped the first blast from Executor.

* * *

Good evening everyone :)

First of all, thanks to everyone who commented the first posts and/or voted for this story. I'm glad you enjoy it this much already and I hope that your fun will continue with the next part :)

Here is the third part of the third of eleven stories that I feel like writing, but can't decide which to work on first. Can you help me figure out that answer?

Important! After the fourth part, I will close the first round of the poll and focus/update only the winning story for the next year or so... The other stories will remain available but incomplete until I have finished the winner of your collective choice :)

Said winner will be the story with the most returning readers, reviews and/or alerts and comments through PMs. So, if you like this one, or if this new chapter suddenly makes this story the most interesting of the list, leave a review to vote for it as a whole :) You can also vote more than once for your favorite using PMs ;P

As of today, the vote is heading in the following direction :

1 - Unexpected (478 points)

2- Incarnations (295 points)

3 - The balance of the Force and Deceit are ex aequo (222 points)

In fifth and sixth positions are An Unfortunate Blessing and It is Useless to Resist.

If you want to try and change the direction of the vote after reading this new part, you know what to do :)

Thanks for your help! Hope you enjoy this new post as well!

If you do, please, share your thoughts :D

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Part 3: Forced together

What tore Luke out of his torpor this time was the intense sensation that his right leg was afire. When he reached out to check on it, though, he was shocked by the absence of his sixth sense.

What?

He pushed himself up- only to still completely when paralysing pain suffused his whole body. Then, once he had fought off the urge to pass out yet again, he cautiously turned his head to check on his agonizing leg.

He froze in abject horror when he realized that it was almost completely cut off from his body – as well as bleeding quite profusely. It was also still attached enough to painfully keep him pinned to the mossy ground, the sharp wedge of metal that had almost amputed him still solidly embedded in his flesh and muscles.

For a moment, he began to panic, unable to think anymore.

No, he then tried to harden himself, he had been through worse at Vader's hand, and he hadn't given up.

Then, before he could act on his burgeoning plan, a blinding blast of light illuminated the jungle to his left before it was immediately followed by an explosion and a fiery blaze. Then, as if it wasn't enough, a shockwave shoved him back to the ground, almost knocking him out yet again.

What the?

"Luke!" Someone suddenly called – an unfortunately familiar voice, if he could call it that.

Panic firmly settled in the young Jedi and he desperately strained against his immobilized and aching body ; he was so terrified by the incoming danger that he was ready to literally rip himself free from his own flesh if he had to.

He would escape.

He had to.

Unfortunately, none of his weakened efforts produced the desired effect.

Another brilliant flash of light coalesced not far from where it had first come from, and another brush fire came to life.

"Luke, answer me!"

He was closer now! The youth panicked and struggled to at least free his captured blaster from under his weight. He wailed at the throes of agony that he caused himself through his pinioned leg, but if he couldn't escape, then he was determined not to face Vader without a weapon.

As it was, he had barely managed to bring his blaster to bear on the unmistakable blinking lights of his father's chest when the tall cyborg crashed through nearby bushes.

"Don't come any closer!" he warned him.

Vader silently answered by producing his red-bladed lightsaber. He then fluidly sidestepped Luke's faltering aim –- and swiftly slashed him free from the remnant of his leg that had held him prisoner to the ground.

Luke was too shocked and horrified to react other than scream at the new torment - and then he yelped in befuddlement when the Dark Lord effortlessly - or so it seemed - hoisted him up by his clothes before throwing him over his left shoulder even as he confiscated his weapon with his left and free hand. The dark lord then ran on and Luke could only blink as he realized that the older man had barely stopped a second or two to accomplish all that before resuming his race away from doom.

"The Emperor has decided to take us both out of the picture! Hang on!"

"Put me down!" the Jedi complained yet was unable to do anything while he painfully bounced and jostled for position on his father's large shoulder while the other ran as fast as he could.

"We need to cross a river and get away from that fire. Don't fight me, Son. I need your help if we are to survive this."

Luke fumed and continued to try and pull himself in a more dignified position by using Vader's cape and the backpack that the Sith carried as points of leverage to push himself upward; he had managed to right himself a little when he finally caught sight of the all-encompassing wall of fire that was now eating up the ground that they had covered.

He suddenly forgot his anger and was even about to urge his father to run faster when a growling – and most welcome sound - came from the sky just before a droplet of rain hit his upturned right cheek.

Even when cut off from the Force, it was still with him, or so it seemed. He thanked it for this small miracle.

Seconds later, a rainstorm took care of the fire for them and his father stopped running. However, it quickly became obvious to the youth that his captor had no intention to stop their forward progress, or even to allow his prisoner to stand on his own.

Luke glowered resentfully at the back of the rain-slicked helmet. "Okay, we're safe now. Put. Me. Down." He demanded, hitting his captor in the back with his fist, only to shake his hand after he hurt it on the man's armor.

"Don't be childish, Luke," the darksider told him while he walked on at a brisk pace. "You can't-"

Determinate not to let the darksider win without a fight, Luke ignored his complaining body and used his left leg to hit the enemy in the chest.

He didn't accomplish anything except hurt his remaining knee against more armor while annoying his father who tightened his grip on his left leg, pinning it to his chest and against the other pack that he carried like a sling.

The incensed youth changed tactic and hammered his captor as hard as he could on the top of the head; as he expected, that didn't go unnoticed and Vader stopped to handle him better. Luke was already moving however, grabbing hold of a low branch while allowing Vader's last steps to pull him free from the Sith's shoulder.

Unfortunately, though, he quickly discovered that he thoroughly lacked the strength to pull himself up on it, thus only managed to slip off the walking and dazed Sith Lord before his arms gave up on him and he unceremoniously fell on the soaked ground.

Through his curtain of wet hair, the Jedi saw Vader turn around and lumber closer; the youth didn't need the Force to figure out that his opponent was upset, but then, so was he.

When the Sith leaned down to resume his grip on him, Luke ignored his body's strident complaints and kicked out with his remaining leg, catching his enemy yet again on the top of his helmet. However, that maneuver was also less than advisable from his position and, because of his unsafe angle of impact and the solidity of his target, he hurt his torn ankle further, the cracking sound resounding all the way to his jaw.

He still gritted his teeth against the new injury and changed tactics before he physically lunged toward the other's lightsaber. He was intent on capturing it, but Vader was not dazed enough to miss _that_ move.

He easily grabbed hold of his son's wrist even before the youth had touched the targeted weapon. "That's enough, Luke. You're only hurting yourself."

"I'll never let you win. Never," Luke defied, fighting against his suddenly spinning head even as he reflexively struggled to free himself from his father's unyielding grip.

"And I will not be separated from you ever again," his father answered. "Or let you worsen your wounds, for that matter. Now, behave or I will knock you out."

* * *

Aware that his son's greatest concern was to be unconscious while in his custody, his argument generated the expected result and he felt Luke's arm relax in his mechanical hold.

"Good. Now, my lightsaber cauterized your injury but you still lost a lot of blood before I intervened. I also suspect that you have a broken rib or two, and you just broke your left ankle."

"So? Neither of us can use the Force to heal that right now," the boy glared in aggravation at him.

"We still have to find a shelter from the rain and see to those, and you need my help to go anywhere. So, truce, Son?"

"Don't you dare carry me on your shoulder as if I were a bag of goods."

Vader tilted his head slightly at his son's attempt to patronize him. "That was not my intention," he answered, and then scooped the boy in his arms and smoothly straightened up.

"Hey! Put me down! I'm not- How dare you—" the boy complained while he wiggled to try and free himself from his new yet still undignified position.

"Your left ankle can't carry your weight and your broken ribs won't allow you to hold onto my back for long."

His son blanched when he understood that he was right.

"Until your ribs are healed, this is how it will be."

"Only until we can make a net of some kind so that you can carry me on your back without my holding on. After that, no more carrying me bridal style, and then only until my ankle is not better," the Jedi stated.

Vader smirked at his son's attempt to save what was left of his male dignity. "We'll see," he answered out loud, adamant that he would not allow his boy to hurt himself further for something as trivial as pride.

Especially when they were now on their own for Force knew how long '_and_' without the Force as their ally.

Around them, the rainstorm went on, drenching them both although only Luke felt the coldness of the water. The two enemies remained silent for long minutes, Luke unwilling to talk to him and Vader uncertain what to say to maintain their temporary truce.

When the youth began to grow restless in his arms, however, he spoke up without any concern other than to ensure his son's survival. "Keep your arms around yourself and hold still; anything else will worsen your broken ribs," he advised him.

Naturally, his boy stared in silent resent at him, but other than that, he abided by his wish and settled down against him.

After that, nothing else troubled their impromptu father/son excursion. The forest was eerily quiet after the attack, Vader's breath was as steady as the machine that controlled it, and the rain fell constantly without changing rhythm. The darkness of the night also remained, adding to the soporific effect of their new environement.

The humid darkness was so thick and inky that for once, Vader was glad that his lenses were infra-red when need be. After all, they had already saved him more than once from the humiliation of walking straight into a tree bole.

Meanwhile, between his captor's steady mechanical breathing, the pitter-patter of the relentless rain, and the sounds of the forest at night, Luke slowly leaned harder and harder against his father's chest until adrenaline completely receded from his system and his physical shock and injuries finally took their due toll on him; at long last, he fell asleep, or unconscious.

Vader only grew aware that his boy was out cold for the moment, his head resting heavily against his left shoulder plate while Luke's arms had loosened from their hold on his ribs.

It didn't reassure him in the least and he hastened his pace while he continued to scan their surroundings for a refuge of some kind.

* * *

When Luke's senses returned to him, he could only feel the dimmed yet no-less-monopolizing pain of his throbbing leg; he groaned loudly in complaint. Then, his ears belatedly _woke_ up and he heard the very distinctive breath of his sworn enemy.

Faster than his brain could process, he sat bolt upright - and gasped as he stilled in agony, his arms reflexively wrapping around his right ribs to alleviate their torment.

He was still woozy and out of breath when he grew aware that the dark lord was stepping closer.

No, he resolved despite his muddled thoughts, he wouldn't let him gain the upper hand again. He pried his eyes open and desperately searched around himself for something to defend himself with.

Unfortunately, other than his and Vader's lightsabers dangling from the other's belt, there was no other form of weapon within reach.

Then, when he tried to call his blade with the Force, it didn't work.

"We're cut off from the Force, Son. Keep that arm down before you worsen your ribs. There's not much more we can do for now."

While Luke's instinct was to deny whatever the Dark Lord of the Sith said, he was also – unfortunately – familiar enough with grave injuries to know when he should remain as still as possible.

Thus, he knew that his shorter breath and spinning head were definite signs that he was once again in a very bad predicament, medically speaking.

With that settled, he calmed down.

When he looked up once again, he finally noticed that they were inside a cave of some sort, and that he was half-naked; his only pieces of clothing were a dark piece of fabric wrapped around his ribcage and his rebel-issue boxers while a survival blanket had been covering him before he had thrown it off upon sitting up.

What?

His undressed state, though, was not his most pressing concern... "Where are we? Why can't we feel the Force?"

"Lay back on your right side and I'll answer all your questions."

Luke's reflex was to once again resist, but the care that he could suddenly hear in his father's voice made him quell his defiant streak and he leaned back; Vader's strong hand and arm supported his weight on the way down so that he gradually rested his weight back on his-

"Aaaha!" Luke gasped when his broken ribs touched ground once again.

"I know, but you'll feel better once you're completely down. Just a little more..."

Luke gritted his teeth but followed his father's advice and, true enough, once he was once again laid on his side, his head propped on a rescue kit, he '_did_' feel better and in far less pain.

More importantly, he could breathe much more easily, finally catching his breath after his abrupt awakening that had left him breathless for the past minutes.

"We're on a planet where a unique animal called ysalamiri lives," Vader explained while he pulled the survival blanket back over him. "They have the _very_ unique property of repelling the Force, creating an empty bubble inside the otherwise all-encompassing energy field that we can tap into."

"How... How's that possible?"

"I don't-"

A growling sound interrupted him and both Force adepts stared in concern toward the opening of the short cave where they had found shelter from the ongoing rain. Luke gasped in worry as two fierce-looking quadrupeds blocked the narrow exit and even took a step closer to them.

Vader's red blade was instantly lit and held at the ready while he turned away from his prisoner. When one of the creature leapt, it met an abrupt and cruel end. Its companion quickly followed suit.

"Don't move. I'll be right back," Vader then ordered him.

Luke had barely begun to wonder what the Sith was up to when his father manhandled the remains of the predators before he pulled them out of the way and chucked them into the surrounding forest. The rebel grimaced in disgust and even gagged at the sickening and thoroughly unexpected sight.

When he felt as if he would really be sick from the gory display, the young Jedi closed his eyes and focused on his breath. No matter how war-hardened he had become, he still had his limits regarding blood and guts.

Vader, though... his father...

This wasn't happening, he suddenly cracked mentally and clenched his eyes in disbelief and fear. He couldn't possibly be stuck with the inhuman and heartless Sith Lord on an unknown world- and helpless to boot!

That was just unfair, and cruel and-

"Okay, we should be safe from more attacks while we're here," Vader said even as his breather's sound echoed off the rock-covered walls of their shelter. "So as I was saying-"

"How can you be this heartless?" Luke suddenly accused him, snapping his eyes open to glare up at the sitting dark lord.

He had the slight satisfaction of seeing Vader hesitate before he finished sitting down beside him. "What are you referring to, exactly?"

Luke moved to straighten himself up – but the sharp flash of pain in his chest stilled him again. He gritted his teeth in frustration and focused on not passing out yet again. However, when his father rested his hand on his left shoulder to keep him from moving again, he angrily shrugged him off, his ribs be damned.

"You just killed two living creatures!" he reminded him resentfully, focusing all his anger and frustration in his voice.

"It was them or us, Son."

"But still, couldn't you have chased them off and killed them, I don't know, outside? And then you just handled their carcasses as if... as if..." He gagged again at the thought of what he had just witnessed. "And then, still covered with their blood, you return as if nothing happened! No wonder you could torture your own son!"

"I didn't know who you were at the time, Luke," Vader tried to defend himself from his last argument.

"And that's your justification, I bet. So what about Bespin? You knew who I was then, and yet you still-"

"And I wish I hadn't," the dark lord replied, apologetic.

Luke didn't buy in his act. "Yeah, I bet you do."

The boy then glared up at him with all his hatred and animosity and fell silent.

* * *

Vader remained silent as well while he stared into eyes that were so much like his own, yet his son's attitude reminded him of... the boy's mother.

Stubborn, standing for life even at the cost of his own, and so very, very brave...

"I'm sorry about the latest carnage, Son. I... I was only focusing on protecting you."

The boy remained silent and closed his eyes to avoid his sight.

"When you've seen as many battle fields as I have," the dark lord went on, "you'll be able to judge me, but until then..."

"Hopefully, even if I do, I'll never become as callous as you," Luke retorted tightly.

A strand of half-dry hair fell down across the Jedi's forehead and tickled his nose; Vader gently reached forward to push it out of the way, but the Jedi quickly backed away and glared yet again at him even as he grimaced in fresh pain. "Don't _touch_ me."

"And stop moving around," he warned him, his patience growing short all of a sudden, mostly because the boy would not stop worsening his rib injury. "There's no telling how soon we can reach a proper medcenter to have those properly treated, and we can't use the Force to help you. Do you really want to die of a punctured lung?"

"If it takes me away from you? I most certainly do," his son bit out, adamant.

"Well, I don't," he objected, "and I won't let you risk it any further. I might not have the Force to control you, but I can still knock you out with a stunblast or even barehanded if I have to."

"Meaning that you'd hurt me again? How could Mother ever fall in love with a monster like you-"

Before he had stopped himself, his hand, which had been shaking a warning finger at the boy, suddenly closed around his throat and squeezed hard enough to shut him up. "Do not _ever_ speak like that of her, am I clear?"

"Go ahead, finish your movement," Luke croaked defiantly yet remained passive, his body refusing to fight for a life that he didn't want anymore. "You've already taken thousands of live, so what's one more, right?"

Suddenly reminded of his crime – his worst crime – against her _and_ his then-unborn son, Vader swiftly let go of his boy's throat and stared in horror at his hand.

What had he done yet again-

On the ground, Luke who had already been fighting against broken ribs to breathe, coughed and whined once he was released from his choking hold. "So much for caring about me, _Dad_," he grimaced at him when he could finally talk again.

Vader, though, did not hear him while he kept staring at his gloved-covered hands..., the hands of the monster that he h_ad_ become.

"I was not always a monster," he finally whispered more to himself than his son. "But I loved her more than... even myself..."

"And what about her? Did you force yourself on her?"

That was the last straw! He decided and grabbed hold of Luke's jaw so that the child would listen and pay attention to him. "I would never do that. We were in love and even secretly married because we couldn't be officially together. Padme loved me just like I loved her, and the last time that we saw each other, she tried to save me from myself. That was how much she loved me. As for me, I loved her too much to risk losing her. I needed more power to save her life... or so I thought... I thought the Dark Side would be the answer, but in the end... in the end, it wasn't," he admitted with less animosity. "And now it's too late. I '_am_' a monster... I just wish..." he let go of his son's jaw. "I wish you would allow me to prove that I am not '_only_' a monster."

His son was, of course, still glaring furiously at him. "Wish away."

He sighed and leaned back and all the way to the opposite side of the cave so as to appear less threatening. This was not going well at all. Despite the circumstances that he had not planned for, or the absence of the Force around them, he had still not intended to brutalize his son in any way when they would have '_that_' conversation.

Yet, the boy was so rebellious and shrewd that he was able to raise all his hackles so that, before he was aware of it, he was in the aggressive mode yet again with him.

"Where are my clothes?" the boy finally asked in the silence.

Vader refocused his attention back on him. "Drying. You were freezing and I knew better than to risk hypothermia in your condition. I removed your wet clothes and wrapped you in the survival blanket. You were unconscious and I didn't want to wake you up. I didn't overstep my bounds, though," he reassured him when he saw the look of pure horror overcome his son's scowling features. "I only did what was necessary to warm you up."

"Meaning?" the wary boy glared anew.

"I lit a fire, I set you by it and on what remained of my cape to isolate you from the cold ground, and I sat with my legs pressed against your back until you had stopped shivering."

* * *

"What happened to your cape?" Luke found himself asking even though he should have instead reacted at the thought of Vader being this close to him while he had been unconscious.

"I used it to wrap your ribs so as to keep them from moving too much. The medkit also had a few bacta patches that should help them heal faster. As for your right leg, I just made sure that it was completely cauterized before I tended your broken ankle and immobilize it with the remaining bandages. Fortunately," Vader seemed to gibe as he shrugged his large and metal-covered shoulders, "I had plenty of wood to work with."

"Yeah, great...," Luke pursed his lips. "You realize, of course, that if you had left me alone when you found me, we wouldn't be stuck here, on this Force-forsaken forest planet, and I wouldn't be in this predicament, crippled and away from any form of decent treatment."

"Perhaps, and perhaps this is still the lesser of two evils," Vader replied cryptically.

Luke snorted at that before he winced when he realized that it wasn't a wise reaction right now. "Nothing can be worse than that."

"Try being in Palpatine's claws for size and you might just revise your opinion of me and this whole situation."

The Jedi frowned in confusion. "Why? That was where you were taking me before I escaped and-"

"No, it wasn't," the dark lord interrupted, shaking his head ponderously. "I was taking you to a safe place where Palpatine would '_not_' find you."

"Oh, right," Luke sneered, careful not to snort this time. "I had forgotten that you want us to join forces and destroy him. I guess that doesn't sit well with him, huh?"

"That's an understatement. As for our joining forces, I really wish that we will someday rule as Father and Son, but-"

"And I don't want that," Luke retorted, finally able to voice his opinion to the man who believed that he knew better than him what what was best for him. "I don't want to rule, and I don't want to be with you, and... and... and I wish I hadn't been born."

There, he had said it, he whimpered in defeat. He wished that he were dead, that he didn't have to deal with the burden of his father's heritage as both a Jedi and a Sith.

Whatever the dark lord had begun to say in reply, it died off after hearing his last argument. After all, what could he add that wouldn't be empty words after Luke's statement?

The imperial servant gazed at him for a long moment, his mechanical breathing the only sound that punctuated the silence. Finally, he simply turned around toward the dying fire and, picking up Luke's captured blaster from the far away survival kit, fired at the wood branches to kindle them once again.

Luke's eyes didn't leave the blaster, even after Vader put it back in the survival kit and on the other side of the cave where it was well out of reach for him.

He then once again spied the glints of the lightsaber handles that hung from Vader's left hip. So, he calculated, if ever he needed a weapon, there were at least three options available, one being more realistic than the others.

"We will stay here until the rain ends, but we need to rejoin civilization as soon as possible," Vader suddenly said, his mind focused back on the matter at hand. "We have to work together if we want to survive this impromptu trek, Luke."

"I don't care," he replied, feeling gloomy.

"I do, and I am taking you with me, no matter what."

Luke was once again upset and lifted his head- only to wince at his complaining ribs. "Gah!" he growled in annoyance. "I will not let you win this easily! I won't!"

"Luke," his father shook his head while he leaned his strong back against the cave's wall, "There is no win or lose anymore. The Emperor will believe us dead for a while, and when we resurface, he'll come after us. He wants you, and he will take me out of the way to do so."

"Perhaps I should let him, then."

Vader, who had begun to physically relax his hulking body, straightened up again and shook his thick right index finger at him. "Don't ever talk like that, Son. You might think me a monster, but remember that whatever I did, _he_ was behind the orders that led to them. He is also behind the _monster_ that you know and hate."

Whereas Luke had been meaning to ask why he should believe anything he said about his enemy, that new revelation about his father's past shut him up. "What do you mean by that?" he asked instead.

Vader leaned back against the rocks of the cave and bent his right knee while his left leg remained stretched in front of him. "I was not always like this, Luke."

"You mean in this armor?"

"And I was not always Darth Vader either. I took on that name when I pledged my obedience, and unknowingly my soul, to the Sith lord Darth Sidious... Palpatine's Sith name. It happened shortly before your birth – you're twenty-two, correct?"

Luke nodded, subdued. "As of last Empire day," he confirmed, referring to the anniversary that sadly marked the beginning of a new year for both him, his friend Leia, and the dominated galaxy as a whole.

It was Vader's turn to fall silent. "Empire day? Then it happened precisely on the day you were born..."

The older man then stared silently in the flames of the fire while Luke waited with baited breath for his next words. Despite his most adamant resolve to not fall for Vader's tricks, his father's apparent honesty had instantly swayed him with no possibility of ever returning to his previous attitude.

After all, Vader _was_ his father... the man he had always wanted to know until Bespin's events.

* * *

Unaware of his son's tergiversation and involuntary interest, Vader stared with intensity in the orange and yellow flames of their small fire. However, the sight he was beholding was not that of his current whereabouts but those of the worst moments of his life.

In his mind's eye, it was as if it were happening once again.

The lava... the heat and soot in the air... the anger... the hatred... the profound hurt and disbelief in her eyes before they had become filled with fear and horror when he had turned on her... The shock of losing three of his four limbs... Obi-Wan's final admonition... That he was supposed to bring balance to the Force, not leave it in Darkness. Andthen the flames that had finally engulfed him, the impossibility to breathe... the hopelessness and indescribable agony... and the rage, the all-consuming hatred and rage... that had kept hurting him long, so long after that day... and up until he had realized that he had yet again hurt the one that he claimed he cared about.

"How did you meet Mother?" the boy finally interrupted his painful memories, drawing him back to the present and to the person that had shocked him awake after so long.

"We were still children back then," he answered cryptically. "I instantly knew that I would someday marry her, but since she was five years older than me, it wasn't a concrete project yet. I was nine years old; she was fourteen, but so very beautiful even in the plain clothes of a Tatooine girl. I could never have imagined that she was, in fact, the elected ruler of the Naboo, Queen Amidala."

"Queen? My mother was a queen?"

"Back when elections were still legal, the Naboo used to vote for the person that would rule them for the next four years. Padme – that was her civilian name – was a brilliant diplomat, the finest ever produced by the Naboo Legislative youth program. When I met her, she was embroiled in a conflict that involved the then galactic trade federation. She had been determined to resolve the conflict without any use of violence, but... she was unknowingly up against Palpatine, her then senator on Coruscant."

"Palpatine used Mother?"

"To gain control as Supreme Chancellor, yes," he nodded forlornly. "Back then, no one was aware that he had been manipulating all the events in his favor so that, with a vote of no-confidence on the current chancellor, he would gain the freed position and its political power. Not even the Jedi recognized the threat for what it was. They reflexively disliked and distrusted him, but they couldn't find faults to pin on him. It was always the system that was failing his _best _intentions, or so he claimed," he finished with a snarl of disgust.

Luke was now hanging on his father's every word. It was obvious, even for his father who didn't know him all that much, that the child wanted to know everything about his parents' story.

Vader was glad to oblige him, mostly because it seemed to be a good place to start anew with the boy, but also because he hadn't allowed himself to remember _her_ in a long, long time.

Far too long, his thawing heart seemed to rebuke him.

"Padme played right into Palpatine's hands," he went on with sadness. "However, that was not the worse that happened."

"What was?" the youth inquired breathlessly.

"Your mother, who was the staunchest pacifist I have ever met even to this day, was forced to pick up arms; because Sidious had clogged down the senate with greed and misdirections, she had to sacrifice her principles in order to free her people from the occupation. If not for Palpatine, she would never have to resort to violence. Still, she was magnificient in anything she did... and I was smitten with her, but I was _still_ only nine."

Luke chuckled weakly at his childish frustration that made it even through the mask he wore. He understood that his child could readily imagine what it must have been like for him.

If only that detail had been the only obstacle to circumvent, he sighed, melancholy. "At the time, I had also just become Obi-Wan's padawan and I was thrilled by my new life as a Jedi apprentice. However, had I known then that I couldn't be in love with her later on, I might have made a different choice... As it was, we didn't see each other again until we were both adults, though I was barely nineteen years old."

* * *

"That's sad...," Luke commented, enraptured by the story of his father's and mother's young love. And his mother... Somehow, she reminded him of his best friend, Leia. After all, the Alderaanian was also a devoted pacifist yet had to forego her principles in the ongoing war against evil. Yup, he surmised, if his mother still lived, she would probably be one of Leia's good friends, or perhaps even one of her mentors.

Fascinated by the revealed secrets, Luke silently asked for his father to continue. If he could have, he would have turned around on his stomach and propped his hands under his chin in rapt attention. Unfortunately, the pain of his ribs was spreading to his entire ribcage and he couldn't move anymore without wincing even a little.

At least, his father's story was so overwhelming that it helped him forget his physical situation.

"What's also sad," Vader commented next, "is that because of my involvement in the space battle against the droid control ship that orbited Naboo, I attracted Palpatine's greedy attention on me. I thought that I had made a good friend that day, but I only left the window wide-open for his surreptitious suggestions and half-truths so that he was able to corrupt me so slowly that no one ever realized what was happening to me until it was too late. Obi-Wan-"

His father's sudden stop and his turning his head toward the outside made Luke look out as well. He frowned after he decided that nothing had changed. "What?"

"Ssssh," his father warned him while he slowly stood up and pulled his lightsaber from his belt. "Don't move."

* * *

TBC

Well? How was that?

If you want more, you know what to do:) And if you don't want more because of bad characterizations, lack of detail, or anything that could help me improve this story into a more edible read, I'd still like to know why (via private messaging if you prefer). However, if you simply don't like this 'kind' of story, then don't worry. To each our own :)

Have a great week everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) Moreover, this time, they might make me work on this story first for the next year or so ;P So? Will you vote for it? I hope so!


	4. Chapter 4

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2012

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Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor. However, before he could reach hyperspace, he was shot down and crashed on Myrkr. He became gravelly injured when the shuttle exploded. Meanwhile, Vader, who wanted to keep his capture secret, personally went after him. The Emperor heard about it and sicked Executor on his wayward apprentice. Vader managed to retrieve his son and saved them both even though they were temporarily unable to use the Force. After seeing to his son and confronting him before they reached a truce, they find refuge in a cave. There, Luke began to find out about his parents' past after the Sith tended to his various injuries and enjoined him to lay still. Vader's tale is interrupted by a sound coming from outside.

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Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

To answer my anonymous reviewers as well :

Valerie : About Vader being patient, I like to vary his degree of patience from one story to another. In this story, Vader intended to be patient from the get go with his son so as to not antagonize him any further than he already does. With Luke injured and their running away from the Empire, he holds himself in check even more so as to not endanger their tentative truce. Also, Vader/Anakin is older than the Anakin we know, and this Vader is more Anakin than Vader when I write him... I hope this makes sense :)

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details :)

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Here is the fourth part of the first of eleven stories that I felt like writing, but couldn't decide which to work on first.

After a whole summer of leaving the choice up to you, my valued readers, An unforunate Blessing finished 2nd, and... surprise! I have decided to also focus on this story first :) I just can't wait to play with ideas that I have in mind for this one as well, and since both stories were also ex aequo.. ;P Why wait, huh? :)

Please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D

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Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

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Part 4: Staying one step ahead

Vader went outside in the rain and headed first for the gory carcass that he had thrown as far as he could from their shelter.

He had surmised that carrions or other carnivorous creatures would come after the attractive sustenance, but it hadn't been so.

At least not yet, probably because of the unceasing rain, he reflected while he studied his options.

The troops he had heard were closer, and yet still far enough to ensure that he was out of the enemy's signt and detection range. The Force was still with them even if they were cut off from it. He quickly grabbed as much of the carcass as he could and headed into the thick of the forest. There, he found thick bushes and let his burden drop in them before arranging the shrubs so that finding the cauterized remnants would require an active search of the shrubs.

He then ran back toward the clearing and the rest of the fallen predators. Even though the rain had diluted their blood stains on the grassy ground, they weren't completely gone yet. That meant that he had to disguise that as well or the search parties would take notice of the unmistakable clue and intensify their search around the clearing.

He couldn't afford that.

He quickly studied the situation and, after a moment's hesitation when he remembered his son's vehemence at his previous violence toward the animals, still grabbed hold of a stiff paw and physically ripped it off the rest of the cauterized carcass. He then left the barely bleeding limb in the unmistakable blood stain and lifted the rest of the dead animal in his arms. He rushed into the surrounding forest with his grisly burden.

He could only hope that, thanks to his masquerade, the stormies would assume that the large bloodstain was the result of an animal being ripped to pieces by a larger predator. He was confident that his experience with such remnants would suffice to make his ploy believable.

He hid the rest of his carnage like he had the first, although in the depth of a hollow tree this time. Then, aware that the sounds of approaching search parties were growing more distinct in his electronic-enhanced ears, he ran back toward the cave where he had left Luke.

Thinking of whom, he suspected that the child had not remained idle during his short absence and so, if he wanted to avoid any other complication due to his son's unplanned actions, he pushed himself further, aware that he had better save a few more extra minutes to handle him before the troopers reached their location.

Pouring as much speed as he could in his long cybernetic legs, he sped back toward the unconcealed shelter. While he did so, he also snagged and pulled on as many vines as possible, gathering them in his strong arms until he had a bundle of them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Luke had decided that he would not allow his father to treat him as if he were a mere child.

Anakin might only wish to protect him from any possible danger, but the farmboy-turned-quasi-Jedi had done well on his own so far and certainly didn't need a Dark Lord of the Sith to look after him now.

Gritting his teeth against the pain of his complaining ribs, he slowly pushed himself to a sitting position, and then painfully crawled toward the abandoned medkit and the discarded blaster that Vader had left unattended.

He was focusing all his iota of attention on this one and only task when a thick curtain of large vines and opaque wet moss slid from above the cave's entrance and in front of the opening, startling him almost senseless with their sudden fall from nowhere.

Aware that Vader was responsible for that added concealment, which meant that he was nearby once again, Luke quickly extended his left arm – grimacing while he did so – and finally snatched the precious weapon from the rescue pack. He then whirled around when he heard Vader's breather once again.

Like he had surmised, the Sith Lord had been close enough to return quickly after his latest action.

As for Luke, despite his previous curiosity about his parents' story, his reflex was still to train his weapon on his father's looming figure. Vader shook his head at him but didn't make any move toward him. "It will not be of much use without this," he commented, and then produced the gun's power cell from a pouch of his belt.

He tossed the cell at Luke, his attention riveted on the forest outside. "Now, be silent."

While Luke was still staring in disbelief at the fully-loaded power cell that the dark lord had just tossed on his lap – effectively allowing him to point a charged weapon at his back if he so chose – he also realized that whereas he had thought that Vader had forgotten a detail before he had left in a hurry, the Sith had, in fact, taken care of this possible threat long before Luke had even made a move toward the discarded weapon.

Palpatine may have been a most devious enemy, he realized, but his father was a clever strategist in his own rights. It meant that, if he ever thought about seriously trying to escape from the Sith, he would have to take that particular detail into account.

He refocused his attention on the current situation and quietly slid the power cell back in its place before he reactivated the hand-held blaster. Then, he tried to heft it, only to rest his hands back on his lap when his ribs seemed to scream bloody-murder at him through their agony. He still left his hands on the butt of the weapon, but he didn't try to aim it anymore.

Dragging himself around had been most unadvisable, just like Vader had said it would. Even his swollen ankle felt worse than before; he grimaced as it occurred to him that, although he had crawled in a straight line, he must have still shifted the broken bone just enough to worsen it. So that had been the grating pain that he had felt, he berated himself even as he tried to catch his breath.

He couldn't.

It hurt too much, his head was spinning as if it were about to twist off his neck, and he was really beginning to feel nauseous. It was all he could do to continue breathing and not lay back on his side – the least painful position he could adopt.

His father grew aware of his distress and spared a glance in his direction – when the sound of crashing trees and clinking armor came from the clearing – muffled though they were by the screen of thick vines that disguised the entrance of the small cave. Apparently just as concerned as Luke was, Vader turned back toward the threat – and Luke belatedly realized that the man now held both of their sabers in his hands, clenching his gloved fists tightly around both handles.

Luke, for his part, tried to raise his weapon, but he couldn't; not anymore. His latest and foolish exertion had worsened his state so much that even a mere shift of his arms awoke thousands of fiery needles along the right side of his ribcage, instantly cutting off his breathing before it had truly provided him with the necessary oxygen to satisfy the needs of his weakened body. He closed his eyes, despondent

He then tried to steel himself for a new humiliation, aware that the enemy would find him in this thoroughly debilitated, half-naked state, completely unable to use even a loaded weapon. Then, he realized that he was actually _relying_ on Vader to prevent that from happening.

Huh? He frowned in shock and incredulity. Who would have thought..?

He was still laboring for breath while trying to listen past his own rasping when something suddenly occurred to him: he couldn't hear Vader's respirator anymore.

He looked up and opened his eyes – for closing them seemed to help him find more air with each breath – and bit back a yelp of pain even as he registered the black-clad man who was still standing at the ready by the entrance of the cave.

How?..

Had he turned off his breathing mask, or was he holding his breath? He wondered through the mental fog that was induced by his wooziness. Whatever the explanation, Luke couldn't decide if it was a good or a bad thing.

Had Vader always been able to shut it off and it was only part of his disguise to terrify people? And if so, how could Luke reconcile the cruel man that was Vader with the... well... nice-sounding youth that he had been learning about a few moments ago?

What would his mother do? He thought next. Why did she leave Anakin? His father had said that his corruption had happened over a long period of time. Was that why she had left him? Because she had realized that he wasn't the same man that she had fallen in love with? Or-

The soft crinkling of leather against metal drew his attention back toward his captor and he noticed how the Sith was now crouching lower and slightly further away from the edge of the exit. Upon seeing this, Luke reflexively held his breath this time, afraid that it was it- but the white boots that had come closer to the cave's concealing curtain never crossed the hanging greenery.

Instead, they shifted left, and then right, and Luke understood that except for running a visual survey of the cave's surroundings – whatever they were as he hadn't seen them yet – the trooper was not really putting his heart into the search.

Trust the imperials to be lazy, he sighed in relief - and gasped yet again in pain while he shifted his left hand to his right ribs.

Outside, the trooper finally moved away, probably returning to the rest of the search party that he could hear further away.

Vader somewhat relaxed as well – and Luke finally let go of any pretence of composure and fell on his side, moaning weakly even once he was in a less-painful position. He couldn't do this anymore.

He couldn't bear that kind of pain... that helplessness... Last time, he had managed to hold on for what had felt like an eternity, but this time... this time it was too much... He was not going to last much-

"Luke!" Vader half-whispered, and only then did Luke become aware that the mechanical breather was back on, which could only mean that the danger was over.

It didn't matter much to him right now.

"Hurts!.. can't breathe-"

He heard his father frantically rummage in the medkit, and then the youth almost jumped out of his skin at the cool touch of air on his sweat-covered nose and mouth. His father then delicately tied the breathing mask around his head before he turned back and around, holding a hypodermic injector in hand. "This will help with the pain."

Luke had barely felt the contact against his jugular that his cramped rib muscles and diaphragm relaxed and he could finally breathe more easily. He closed his eyes and savored the clean oxygen that was finally making it into his lungs and body.

"We can't stay here forever. You need medical care, complete medical care."

"Not... good odds," he commented from behind the mask.

His father continued to work on him, pulling his deserted pillow and litter closer to his new position. He then set the blanket back over him before lifting his bad ankle at an angle that helped alleviate its pain. "Never tell me the odds, Son," he replied meaningfully.

While Luke understood that his father would not accept defeat any more than Luke intended to join him, another part of his addled brain reflected that in a way, Vader had just sounded like his smuggler friend, Han.

Since Luke had flown against Vader, both to evade him and to shoot him out of the sky, he knew what a great pilot he was – just like Ben had told him, way back when. Could it be that Anakin had been a no-care-daredevil pilot like Solo?

And what would that tell him about the concerned Sith that was currently fussing over him?

"Tell me more," he asked weakly, feeling his eyes droop in tiredness while his various injuries took their overdue toll on him.

"About what?" Vader asked, tilting his head slightly and pausing in his nervous ministrations.

"About... before..."

Luke felt Vader attach a sensor to his unresisting left arm and around his wrist. Before he had time to worry about what the Sith had just done, a steady beeping noise came from the rescue kit and the rebel understood that he had just been fit with a monitoring device.

The imperial rescue medkit had _nothing_ in common with the rebels', he understood, impressed despite himself.

"Very well," Vader answered his previous request. "However, don't fight to stay awake. Now that you're once again stabilized, you need rest before we can move you, and we need to move soon. Now, close your eyes and don't fight the muscle relaxant and sedative. Where were we?"

* * *

"Obi-Wan... disliking Palpatine..." His son answered weakly.

Vader was hard-pressed not to tuck his son's longuish front hair out of his closed eyes, but he knew better than to upset the child once again.

Instead, he sat nearby the boy's head and open medkit, preparing himself for a nightly vigil. He then shifted his eyes from the data of the monitoring system, to Luke's relaxing features, to the once again deserted forest clearing that barely showed through their make-shift concealing curtain.

His gamble had paid off and the trooper had not even suspected a possible opening in the vine-covered stone formation that currently sheltered him and his son.

The ongoing rain had also washed him from any remaining blood while he had been running so that he hadn't left any visible trace on his way back inside their hiding place.

The Force was still with them, or was it only with his gravelly-injured son?

"Obi-Wan..." he finally began wistfully.

It had been a long time since he hadn't thought of the man without hatred, but today was such a day. Now that he could see clearly through the lies and truths of the past, he really regretted that he hadn't listened to him when it was still time.

"He never liked Palpatine," he went on slowly. "He was right, of course, but because he always lumped all the politicians in the same basket, Padme included, I could never tolerate his hard judgment of them. The more he warned me away from Palpatine, in particular, the more I sought him out for advices, friendship... and praises. The deceitful fiend was the only one who complimented me and since I was homesick and that the praises reminded me of my mother... and that I liked being praised by her... well... I grew addicted to them, and to Palpatine's _kindness_."

He paused a moment to recover his composure after mentioning his mother.

"Jedi forbade a life with emotions and as such, praises were only given in exceptional conditions so as to not feed the ego, pride, and arrogance of the future Jedi. In a way, they were right, I suppose, but at the same time, I'm not certain that their lack of emotions weren't their undoing in the end..."

He shook himself out of those musings.

"Anyway, Palpatine's praises were, I now understand, exaggerated and even outrageous at times, and he used them to slowly convince me that I was held back from my true potential, that Obi-Wan and the Jedi Council were afraid of my powers, and... you get the picture, I'm sure. By the time of my fall, I didn't listen to anyone but him... and my arrogance. Even your mother's wise words now fell on deaf ears..."

"Mother… couldn't.. help?" Luke asked haltingly, his voice sounding like that of someone on the verge of falling asleep.

"As I said, at first, we didn't see each other for a long time – almost ten years. Then, when we finally met again, I was still a padawan, if closer than ever to completing the training. By then, Palpatine's ravages and influence were already influencing my morals and personality."

"Pada...what?" his son frowned and Vader understood that he hadn't heard what had followed that statement, his attention freezing on the unfamiliar word.

"Padawan. It was the title of the selected teenage Jedi apprentices that received individual tutelage by a single master. The ranks were: initiate - whom we affectionately called younglings - padawan, knight, master, councillor and master of the order. The latter was, of course, Master Yoda."

He chuckled to himself in derision.

"By the time that I met Padme again, I was arrogant and deluded enough to dare believe that I was even more powerful than Master Yoda..." He slowly shook his helmeted head in self-deprecation. "Palpatine had me under his thumb even long before I knelt before him..."

He fell silent after that admission... and realized that his son had finally dozed off. Luke's occasional frown let him know that he was still in pain, but it was less so than before.

Now how was he going to get them out of this one, he wondered in concern.

Obviously, he couldn't carry his son in any way without worsening his injuries, yet they couldn't stay in that cave forever, nor could they venture outside as the search parties would probably find them before they ever reached civilization. There was also the problem that he could not defeat all the troops without the Force as his ally, not to mention that Luke needed _immediate_ medical attention.

What to do? He wondered seriously.

What could he do?

Was Executor still in orbit? If she was, then any escape would be short-lived as the Emperor would make sure that his traitorous apprentice wouldn't give him the slip in any way.

Did his slaver even know that he was still alive? Or was he simply extra careful about that and had merely sent troops to make sure that he hadn't miraculously survived the destruction of his fighter?

The problem was that, without the Force, Vader couldn't figure out what was happening and which strategy would best serve him. He was down to his own instinct as a seasoned warrior... as well as dumb luck.

Never in his life had he been in that resourceless a situation.

He decided to wait for his son to wake up before he made any move. The last thing he wanted was for the boy to wake up alone and attempt anything that would put him in greater danger. He also couldn't leave him here while he went looking for a plan... not when a wild animal could find the passed-out youth and attack him when he wasn't even able to use a blaster to kill it...

A travois, he decided. He needed a travois to carry his son while keeping him in his current and better-advised position.

The rain had finally pattered off and the sun had come out from behind the clouds. He didn't need go far to find what he needed. Even better, he had the perfect tool to cut the pieces and vines that he required.

With a last gaze at his sleeping and wheezing son, he ducked out of the cave and ventured back into the surrounding forest.

* * *

What awoke Luke this time was the sensation of falling from whatever had been supporting him – that and the sharp jab of pain it caused him.

He snapped his eyes open at that - and panicked when he discovered that he was securely tied between two wooden staffs. He was also laying at an angle between them and on his side. He then realized that he was wrapped tightly in the survival blanket, thus unable to move _any_ part of his body. He struggled anyway, whining in reaction to his body's painful complaint about his actions.

Whatever had been keeping him at an angle lowered him and stopped moving.

He was being dragged _by_ someone or something!

"Luke, stop that!" Vader admonished him sternly.

"Let me go!" he retorted, incensed by his current and very unpleasant predicament. He was so upset that he almost didn't notice the agony that he caused himself when he shouted as loudly as he could in resentment.

"It was the only way to move you out of there, and I didn't manage to wake you up to ask for your permission, so... bear with me, okay? This is only for your safety until I can bring you to a medcenter."

Luke, who was already winded and half-conscious from both his brief effort to resist and the breathing difficulties that resulted from it, remained silent and focused on not passing out again.

Vader resumed dragging him behind himself.

* * *

While Vader did his best to survey the surrounding forest even as he kept his ears tuned to all the sounds that he could hear past his mechanical breathing – and not only his son's monitored heart beat – he also tried not to fall back in the state of panic that he had experienced when he had tried to wake Luke up, only to find him completely unresponsive.

He had tried everything he could think of to pull the child out of his unconsciousness, fearing the worst for the son that he had just recovered. However, not even shots of adrenaline had had the desired effect, leaving him at a loss of ideas of how to proceed.

Indeed, for long moments, Vader had been simply paralyzed by his fear of losing yet another loved one, the tormenting ghosts of his mother and his wife rising before his eye and blinding him from the fact that, although unconscious, his son's vitals were still stable, if weaker than normal.

He hadn't been able to face yet another loss, hadn't been able to become responsible for the agony and untimely departure of yet another family member – a family he had barely had in his life even though it had always existed in distant and even sometimes unknown forms. He had crumpled at the realization that he was a curse to everyone he loved, a harbinger of doom not only for his enemies, but for his cherished ones as well.

His hands had been shaking uncontrollably when he had finally paid attention to the readings of the medkit and had belatedly understood that he hadn't lost his son yet.

After that, he had resolved that he never would and had quickly put on the vine-made bandoleer of their only blaster before he had pulled both of his packs on – one behind his back and one across his chest and against his left side so that it didn't hamper either the blaster's mobility or his best weapon arm.

Then, he had laid the travois behind his unconscious son before he had gently slipped his hands under the slight youth, careful to support his right arm and right hip bone in a way that would keep the injured ribcage as stable as possible during the brief transfer from the hard ground to the makeshift litter.

For once, his cybernetic arms had been really useful as they hadn't shaken or shifted in any unwanted way during the delicate operation.

Once he had laid Luke on the open blanket and between the two sides of the travois, he had wrapped him in the blanket as if it were a cocoon. Then, he had proceeded to secure him as best as he could, careful not to add dangerous pressure on his son's already-challenged chest while making sure that he wouldn't be able to shift - a most ill-advised option for now - or accidentally slip from his position.

While he had been so occupied, he had still kept trying to rouse the boy, so as to avoid any violent reaction from his part later on, but it hadn't worked.

Thus, he had eventually left their shelter, dragging the gravelly-wounded, secured and thoroughly immobilized boy behind him, praying the Force to guide him toward the nearest medcenter before it was too late.

He had even threatened the entity to save at least that person in his life, that he deserved it after all the sacrifices that he had made to serve its powers and the destiny it had forced upon its Chosen one.

He had purposefully ignored the fact that using the Dark Side had been his choice, or that it was not the best way to serve the Force but rather of using it as he saw fit.

A day and a half later, though, and now that his precious little Jedi had finally regained his senses, he was taking back that empty threat. It would be his fault if he also lost Luke.

Period.

It was just time for him to fess up for all the wrongs he had committed in the name of... of revenge, first, of anger, next, and of hatred...

He had also committed atrocities in the name of cowardice – whgen he hadn't killed Palpatine when he could have, and when he had not defied his cruel orders even though he knew that they were wrong – and in the name of tyranny - Palpatine's, of course, but also his… Vader's.

He munched on those self-deprecating thought for a long while, barely paying attention to where he set his feet while he trudged on through the lush forest, dragging his precious burden after him.

* * *

Eventually, although Luke didn't know how much time had passed, the youth opened his eyes once again and looked up as best as he could at his captor's back. He noticed that he was carrying an emergency pack on his back and what seemed like their other bag at his side. He also lacked his trademark cape.

The steady beeping of the medkit then attracted his attention to his feet and he found the medkit securely tied in the empty space that existed in front of his remaining leg.

Luke wished that he could shake his head in annoyance and disbelief, or that he could even rub his forehead to alleviate the headache that was pounding there as if it wanted out of his skull- when a growl from overhead drew his attention to the canopy above him-

"Father!" he yelled as loudly as he could even as the quadruped launched itself at him.

He then winced when his father swiftly set him down even as he whirled around, the blaster already held in his right hand; the dark lord shot the animal straight between the eyes and the impact with the laser bolt sent the beast slightly off course from its original trajectory.

However, its ugly head still landed within Luke's line of sight and the boy grimaced in revulsion.

His father, for his part, ignored his fallen victim and surveyed the surrounding trees for more of them. When he was convinced that this attacker had been alone, he let go of the blaster that now dangled in front him from a vine-woven baldric and picked up the travois' handles. "Ready?" he asked him in concern.

Luke barely had time to answer before the tall man straightened up and resumed their trek. The moment that his weight was off the ground, the youth's ribs wailed in agony at their slight adjustment and Luke belatedly understood what he should be ready for next time.

"So? What's... plan?" he asked in between short breaths.

Even the breathing mask was not as helpful as it was before, he noticed.

"Capture a search/rescue ship of the troops that are searching for us. Normally, they are left with minimal security while the squads spread out. I only wish that I could be certain that I'm headed in the right direction."

"You're... not?"

"I normally rely on the Force for that... and I grew up in a desert, so that's the only environment I know how to orient myself in."

"Desert?"

"Before I learnt about the Force, I grew up on Tatooine, Luke. Like you. I believe my mom – your grandmother – was buried beside the homestead where you grew up?"

"I... yes... I just didn't know... true anymore," he said in between short breaths that quickly convinced him to cut his conversation short.

His father noticed and turned his head around. "We better stay silent for now. I don't know how far this forest can carry sounds. As for my problem with orientation, I'm sure I'll figure it out."

While Luke didn't share his father's optimism, he still hoped that the older man was right.

Breathing was becoming harder with each new shift of his ribcage.

* * *

Vader was doing his best to keep his eyes peeled for danger, but his mask was too limiting for him to do an adequate survey of the surrounding forest while he trudged through it. Cursed helmet and mask, if there was one time that he could _really_ do without them, this was it.

He did his best to use his ears as well, but his loud breathing was also impeding his auditory range, masking any useful sound with the thrice-cursed sound of his breathing apparatus.

Thus it was that he truly thanked the Force when he caught the screams of men not far from his position. He had never thought that he'd hear anything useful with all the raucous he made. He hurried his steps, walking as fast as he could in the direction of the sounds.

While whatever was attacking the men could also prove to be a problem for him, the mere presence of other men meant that he should, if he survived that encounter, find more material to add to his survival kit or, if he and Luke were truly helped by the Force, he would even find a ship to bring his son to safety.

Thinking of whom, he made a note to himself to leave him slightly out of the fight zone before he jumped in himself.

Once that was done, he rushed forward and finally reached the source of the sound. The screams had lessened while he had been securing a half-conscious Luke. Upon seeing the scene that awaited him, he turned off his lightsaber and surveyed the clearing. A large quadruped – a now familiar shape for him – was leaving the area, dragging a piece of one of his victims with him. The two men, smugglers or outlaws by the looks of them and their open shuttle, had never had time to shoot before the animal had leapt on them.

No, he corrected himself, turning his lightsaber back on: animals.

There had been more than one, as the second set of clawed tracks proved.

Slowly, he looked around himself, wary for a new attack. He scanned everything, rising and lowering his chin as far as his head gear and neck guard would allow so that he could make a complete visual sweep of his surroundings. He still wasn't fast enough to avoid the large body that leapt from atop the deserted ship and onto his left shoulder and back,

The long claws looked for purchase against the armor of his chest, shoulder and back leg even as the strength of the impact threw him down to the ground. Although caught by surprise, Vader still managed to turn around before he had crashed down so as to face the animal once on the ground. He then rolled backward with the impact, pushing his legs under the predator.

While the animal managed to rest its large fangs all around his helmet and mask, it didn't retain its hold when Vader shoved it over and away from him. The fallen Jedi then rolled back to his feet and turned around; his weapon now freed from restraints, he swiftly turned it on and cleanly slashed the animal in two, and it was over.

The quadruped, though, had managed to tear his helmet off, leaving only intact and in place the mask-part of his head gear.

Suddenly remembering that he had left his half-aware son alone with only a blaster to defend himself, he rushed back to the boy's side, praying that he hadn't made a horrible mistake.

He sighed in relief when he found the boy still struggling to remain awake but otherwise not harmed further.

And he had found him a means of transportation that would not attract imperial attention!

"The Force is with us even here, Son. You'll soon be better."

* * *

Even though the owners of the small ship hadn't been around anymore to object to their leaving with it, the two fugitives were still delayed when the engine refused to start upon ignition.

Cursing vehemently, Vader stalked out of the cockpit and opened – or rather, a weakened Luke tiredly corrected himself, ripped open - the engine compartment in the back of the small shuttle. He silently witnessed his father's display of inhuman strength from his prone position on the deck where Vader had left him on his travois.

"Problem?" he asked needlessly. The dark lord was furious, though, for once, not at him.

"The engine must have been shot during their fight against the beasts. It won't be long."

Luke wanted to point out that such statement depended on whether the outlaws had the proper tools or parts to repair it, and that was without considering their current ignorance of how serious the damage was.

In short, he considered that Vader was pretty presumptuous in his certitude that he could fix anything in no tim-

He mentally fell silent and gaped when the engines suddenly revved to life.

So Vader was a miracle worker like Solo and Chewie... and him sometimes, he conceded. It could only mean that his father definitely had more in common with flyboys and daredevils than he ever thought possible.

After all, the dark lord was always so overbearing, plotting how the enemy would act and countering those actions before they happened... He really didn't fit the description of a spontaneous hot shot pilot.

And yet, Ben had always said that Anakin had been the best pilot he had known and even Vader had revealed that, although a child at the time, he had been instrumental in the destruction of a droid control ship that had hovered above his mother's homeworld.

Surely, Anakin wouldn't have managed _that_ kind of feat unless he had wits that went along with his talents, not to mention that pilots needed to think on their feet if they wanted to survive any battle, as Luke had learnt from the seat of his pants.

Vader stalked past and sat back in the piloting seat, and once again, Luke wondered who, in fact, his father was.

* * *

Vader, for his part, was pondering how he should prepare for their arrival at the city that was already showing up on the scanners. Now that the shuttle had cleared the forest's canopy, the strange jamming that scrambled his hand held scanners had disappeared. He was relieved to find out that Executor had also left orbit, leaving her search parties behind for now.

So, back to his present challenge, should he conceal his true identity, for he was now an imperial fugitive that was most likely on the most-wanted dockets? Or should he count on his fearsome reputation to dissuade anyone from challenging him, at least long enough for Luke to be healed properly?

Each option, of course, implied peculiar challenges, and both of their possible outcomes were more than uncertain.

Still, was it easier for him to try and conceal his appearance using the clothes and cloak that he had found on the bunk of the shuttle? Could he risk removing the breathing mask from Luke and use it for himself after he removed his mask to further his disguise? Would anyone believe in the masquerade?

Or should he, instead, show up as Vader – if in unusual state given his missing helmet, his torn leather armor and his missing cape? Should he hope that he would not need the Force to be left alone and obtain the necessary care for his son? And could he realistically think that his resurgence would not attract enough attention that the search parties would gather right where he was?

Or worse?

He pondered his options for as long as possible, and then it was time to choose.

* * *

Luke was drifting in and out of consciousness when he felt himself being released from the bonds that had kept him still for a few days. He then moaned weakly when someone gently picked him up and lifted him up and on a self-conforming surface that instantly held him even more firmly than his litter had.

Then, he passed out, aware that there was nothing to fight against for now.

He wasn't even aware when the medics dunked him in the bacta tank that his father had requested in advance when he had placed his emergency call to the medcenter.

All that mattered to him was that, at last, he didn't hurt anymore.

* * *

In the small but well-equipped emergency center of Hylliard City's otherwise rudimentary medcenter, Vader, under his guise of a strong-built alien that couldn't breathe oxygen and that kept his ugly features under swaths of clothes, remained wary for any sign of trouble while he monitored Luke's slow healing in the bacta tank.

Even though his disguise covered his trademark armor under the traditional clothes of ruffians _and_ a cape and cowl, and that his speaking in hutteese had completed the picture of a low-life no-good smuggler stranded by accident with his partner in crimes, he was still aware that he attracted more side glances than he'd like.

His only relief was that he had not seen a single trooper in the area while he had brought the shuttle to the emergency landing pad. Thank the Force for more small miracles.

The red light on Luke's tank suddenly turned to yellow, indicating that the patient was stabilized and finally out of life-threatening danger. He breathed more easily at that new positive outcome.

Luke was better.

He would live.

He would be able to know his son after all.

He closed his eyes in gratefulness and took a moment to simply breathe in the oxygen that was different from his usual source yet still did the job. It had taken some mechanical wizardry to adapt his respiratory system to the new source and its different mask model, but he had been up to the challenge.

Now, he only had the slight problem that whereas his armor had been self-sustaining in terms of his breathing, drawing from the air around him before sending it properly pressurized into his lungs, his new mask wasn't. He needed more sources of oxygen than the one bottle he was already using.

He hated to do this, but he had to collect all the small-sized bottles of oxygen that he could find in this medcenter. He had no choice if he wanted to survive when his current one was empty. Turning around, he set off on his unworthy quest.

Ah, he seethed silently, but Palpatine had known what he had been doing, setting him up in that dreadful armor. Oh yes, his _master_ had made sure that he would not be able to cut his ties with him that easily... or ever.

But Vader would not allow him to win that easily. He would not only survive, but he would adapt, master this weakness and even grow stronger from it. He was just glad that his prosthesis were not dependant like that on his armor or he'd _really_ be in trouble.

Careful to remain out of sight despite his imposing size and unmistakable alien appearance, he located what he was looking for and began filling his two packs with the life-giving bottles.

He was reduced to being a mere thief; Palpatine would pay for that as well.

Still, with what he had found, he would at least be able to last until a more permanent solution could be found; he had set his new mask so that it only drew the six percent of oxygen that he needed in each breath to survive. Since it was pure oxygen, even the low intake did its job and that allowed him to deplete the bottle far more slowly than Luke had while he had been using it.

He was glad that he had calculated right and that his technical gamble had worked as he couldn't easily undo it without more tools than he had at his disposal, even in the isolated city.

He was also glad that he had thought about saving his night vision lenses so that even after losing his mask, he still had that advantage over the dangerous forest and its predators.

He absentmindedly scratched his head through the fabric while he discreetly walked down deserted corridors toward his next target.

He had forgotten how itchy coarse weaving could be, and especially when it was dirty.

Almost as much as sand that got stuck under his clothes.

* * *

Four days later, Luke was finally removed from the bacta tank. His ribs were healed, as was his broken ankle. It was now up to him to wake up.

Although Vader wanted to stay by his side an coax him awake, he knew better than risk his cover now that he had finally established himself as a mere partner to the boy. Hence, he simply stood or sat in the waiting room, aware that the medics would warn him when Luke would wake up.

He was so bored out of his skull, though, that he was seriously considering picking up one of the badly-outdated and pointless magazine pads that was left on a table for the visitors' benefit - when he heard the distinctly familiar noise of weapons clicking against armor and knew that their reprieve was over.

He sped down the corridor that led to Luke's recovery room, disappearing from sight just as the first troopers came up to the reception desk to inquire about any new incomers with injuries that could result from a crash landing.

In the room, his son was still unconscious but all his vital signs were normal and stable. He quickly disconnected him from the monitoring devices, lifted his inert form from the bunk and hoisted him up on his shoulders; he let his boy's loosened limbs balance him on both sides of his neck while he straightened with his light burden. His son was still missing a leg, but the rest of him was healed, and he was wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt and long pajama pants.

He surmised that it would suffice for now.

Checking left and right on his way out, he silently stepped out of the recovery room and headed down the corridor that gave into an emergency exit.

Had they been on Coruscant, Luke's disconnection from the monitoring devices would have raised alerts, and the troopers would have already taken positions in the corridors to prevent an escape like the one he was intending.

However, out here, in the middle of a forest on an uncharted inner rim world, the imperial authority was not absolute, and their discipline was lacking even though they came from Executor's crew.

Laxness was always the first thing that settled into their troops when they found themselves left to their devices for too long, and now that their fearsome commander-in-chief was not there to incite fear into them even from a distance, they most certainly didn't fight against their human tendencies.

Hence, while the reception desk prohibited the troops from entering further before they had authorization from the doctor responsible of the emergency ward, the troopers were content to wait, or argue.

None of them took their duty seriously enough to ignore the pointless objections and check the medcenter as per their initial orders.

Vader didn't complain in the least about this problem-turned-advantage and disappeared through the door that led to the emergency stairs and exit.

As he quickly made his way through the outer emergency exit and out in a back street, he pulled his blaster free from his makeshift hip holster and quickly surveyed the surroundings.

He heard voices from around the corner, but they weren't coming closer to investiage. Holding his breath, he still waited a little more before moving.

Thus, he heard that they were part of the squad that they had avoided a few days ago in the forest, and that the troopers were fed up with that pointless mission and that they wanted to leave and rejoin Executor that had left them behind.

They were now convinced that no one had survived either the crashes or the ensuing attack from Executor. They weren't even really looking anymore.

Satisfied by this information, the Sith lord raced down a nearby alleyway, and another, and then ran all the way to the edge of the forest where he and Luke disappeared once again.

Eventually, he'd have to think of a way to leave the planet, but for now, only Luke's safety mattered, and that meant remaining as far away from the troopers as possible.

He ran for several minutes, and then some more. Finally, he felt safe enough to come to a halt and study where he was.

As if acting like a forest welcoming committee, a vornsk - as he had learnt they were called - jumped him from a nearby bush. Even as he crouched and, with barely a shrug, freed Luke limp weight from his shoulders, allowing the child to slump to the mossy ground while sparing him any injury upon landing, he also turned his blue lightsaber on even as he brought his blaster to bear.

He shot the animal in the front paw, but that didn't stop it right away. Instead, it turned around for another pass, spotted the more vulnerable shape of his son - that the fall had roused slightly. Vader didn't hesitate and beheaded the beast even as it leapt past him and at Luke.

He then knelt down – slightly out of breath - and shoved the bloody remains away from his recovering boy.

* * *

The first thing that Luke saw when he finally pried his eyes open was Vader manhandling the gory remains of yet another familiar predator.

"Not again," he groaned in disgust and turned on his back. That's when it hit him.

He didn't ache anymore! He sat bolt-upright and was just in time to see- "Who... Who are you?" he asked even as he realized that the tall silhouette that he had seen was not, in fact, Vader.

"It's all right, Son," he said in a gravelly and unfamiliar voice that sounded muffled by all the swaths of clothes that covered the other's face and what seemed to be a breathing mask.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?" He asked again, and tried to get up only to remember too late that he was now missing a leg.

"It's all right, you're safe," the other began, and then, when he saw him fumble to get up, rushed to his side. "Take it easy, Luke. You're healed from all your injuries but we had to leave before they could fit you with a prostethic leg."

"We?.." he hesitatingly raised his hand to the covered features. "Father?"

Without the Force, he couldn't tell for sure, but there was something eerily familiar about the mannerism and composure.

"Yes," the tall man confirmed, "I had to leave Vader's mask behind for both of our safety. How are you feeling?"

"How... but are you all right? I thought that, without that mask..."

"I had to jury-rig a replacement, but for now, yes, I'm fine. How about you? Any nausea? Weakness? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"No... No..." the boy answered hesitantly, his mind focused on a whole other possibility. "Can I see you? The real you?" he finally asked as if in a daze.

His father slightly drew away and straightened as if on the defensive. "I'd prefer not, Son. There really is a monster under Vader's mask... Besides, those wrappings were long to set in place. I'd rather not undo them unnecessarily."

While Vader's excuse was the lamest he could imagine, Luke understood that there were limits to what Anakin would reveal even to him. The young Jedi silently nodded in answer, and then looked around himself once again. "So we're back in the forest?"

"For now, yes. Troopers showed up in the city and it wasn't big enough for us to hide properly. I... kind of stand out, even in this disguise..."

"I can imagine," he answered and shivered in slight discomfort. He was not exactly dressed for the cool air of the early evening.

His father pulled his cowl and cape from around his shoulders and wrapped it around Luke's. "I am confident that the troops will soon leave. When they do, we can return and _borrow_ another ship, this time to leave the planet. Once away, we'll recover the Force and..."

"Be enemies again?" the Jedi frowned uncertainly.

"I hope not. I was just thinking that we could at least take a moment to figure out what to do next. I heard over the news that Palpatine is still in power and that he will announce the identity of a new right hand in a few days. I want to defeat him, Luke. That, and being with you, is all that matters to me."

The youth remained silent as he gazed at the blue eyes that were the only visible part of his father's true features.

Blue eyes that were just like his own...

"Well," he finally answered, "we first have to survive this forest... and those creatures."

"Vornsks," Vader supplied. "Attacks by them are so common place that the emergency ward is the only modernized part of the city's medcenter. The doctors informed me that if they can't quickly stabilize a victim from their wounds or poisoned tail whips, they die too fast for them to do anything more for them. That was why they had a state-of-the-art bacta tank waiting for you. Thank the Force for that as well."

"Yes." Indeed, it was wonderful to once again breathe without feeling the slightest pang of pain or the grating agony of broken bones. "So what now?"

"We keep moving while edging closer to the city once again. That way, we can avoid any search parties if they continue their mission, and we slowly make our way back toward civilization... and a ship." He then straightened up and pulled his jacket off. "Here, put these on. I am still wearing my armor underneath. These clothes will be a bit large for you, but still better than a medcenter pajama."

As he saw the trademark breastplate appear from underneath the shirt that Vader had been wearing, Luke realized that, up to then, he had still had remaining doubts about the other's identity. Now, though, he had no doubt left.

Uneasy, he accepted the shirt when it was passed on to him and pulled it over his head. "A bit large, huh?" he quipped as he found himself floating in the large shirt. "Is that your real size? Or is it enhanced by the armor?"

Vader, who was removing his extra pair of trousers, paused a second before he resumed his action. "As a Jedi, I've always been athletic and broad-shouldered, but the armor's shoulder pads enhance my width. My prosthetic legs also give me an extra 5 inches and a half in height."

"Ah, so I'_really_ don't take after you for my size, huh?" Luke commented, accepting the trousers that were now available.

"You are a natural athlete like I was, but you also have the petite silhouette of your mother. And her kindness. In a way, you might have inherited my looks and Force talent, but with the exception of your strong emotions that make you earnest in your endeavors, everything else comes from Padme. And I'm glad it does... I wouldn't want you to suffer like I have... or to hurt your loved ones like I did."

Luke, who had been wiggling around on his back to pull the trousers up to his hips, paused and sat up. He studied the forlorn-sounding dark lord. So much had just been said, and yet so... casually or easily. "I look like you used to?" he blurted out, choosing the easiest topic for now.

"Down to the dimple of your chin," Vader nodded and stepped closer. "Do you need a hand with those?"

"Well... just help me to my foot and I'll do the rest," he answered, extending a hand toward his father.

A few seconds later, the trousers were fastened and he was leaning against Vader's strong right arm to hold his balance. "You're not carrying me bridal style anymore," he warned him meaningfully.

"And you can't just hop along on your leg. Your ankle is healed but still fragile. Any wrong impact and it'll break again. What do you suggest?"

Luke pondered his options for a moment. "How about we settle here for the night and reconsider the problem tomorrow?"

"You still feel tired after four days of unconsciousness?"

Luke allowed himself to fall back to a sitting position and dragged one of their discarded packs closer. "No, not now. However, we'll have to take turns staying awake if we don't want to end up in a vornsk's stomach. I can take the first shift."

"Ah," his father nodded. "I hadn't thought of that. Besides," he said and Luke had the distinct feeling that the older man was smirking cheekily under his new disguise, "you owe me at least a week of extra shifts from the first days we spent in the forest."

Luke was so caught unprepared by the other's attempt at humor that he could only stare silently in disbelief. He was still staring when Vader went in search of dry branches, and even when he returned with them.

Now who was that man and what had he done with his personal and worst nightmare?

* * *

The next day, they reached a truce about how to carry Luke and the Jedi found himself on his father's strong back, held by a makeshift net of vines that allowed him to stabilize his position without having to hold on to his father's slick shoulder pad. He was also carrying the second pack on his back and held the blaster in his right hand and in front of Vader against whom he leant for balance.

Now that he had changed the almost-depleted bottle of oxygen that had saved both of their lives, Vader was able to walk for hours on end without feeling tired, not even with the extra weight of his son on his back.

Luke, though, needed a break to restore blood circulation in his body and so, they stopped every few hours and used that time to eat a little, rest, and talk. It was the only time that they could do so as the forest was more treacherous than they had thought, and the vornsks, more tenacious than any average predator.

"Ow," Luke groaned and lifted the ample sleeve to reveal where one of the quadruped had lashed him with its tail before he had killed it. "I can understand why someone can die of several such wounds."

"Much deeper wounds, though," Vader specified after breaking out the pain-killing salve from the medpack that he had _acquired_ along with his extra bottles of oxygen. "You were lucky that it wasn't closer to you or this would be worse."

"Yeah, well, if I had mobility, I would have stepped back, but I could only lean away... and even then, I was limited in my range of movement." He pondered the situation for a moment and something suddenly occurred to him. "It won't be too late to fit me with a prosthesis, will it?"

"It's never too late," his experienced father reassured him. "Prosthesis models have changed often enough that I've had quite a few new models over the years. It was never a problem to fit them to my old wounds."

Luke nodded silently, and then winced as Vader applied the balm on his burning scratches. The burn turned to a hitch and he gritted his teeth to bear it until it went away. "What happened to you?" he asked in the silence that followed. "I know all about your missing limbs and burnt lungs, but you never told me how it happened. I always heard that you had a terrible accident, but after you cut off my... hmmm, uh..." the boy flushed in unease, "sorry... anyway... you know what I mean?"

If Luke hadn't brought up the worst day of his life - Mustafar - Vader could have chuckled at his son's discomfiture at his accidental mention of Bespin and what they had finally dealt with the previous night. However, the chosen topic was grim, and Luke deserved to know. With only a moment's hesitation, the Sith lord reached up and undid the knot that held his swathed cloths in place.

"No, Father, you don't have to-"

"It's time, Luke. I don't want this to remain a barrier between us. I must warn you, though... I am horribly scarred."

Luke swallowed thickly but nodded in readiness. He had completely forgotten his minor injury.

* * *

Vader, for his part, braced himself for the reaction of disgust that his son would have. He had wanted to delay this moment for as long as possible, but it was now inescapable. Struggling against muscles that were suddenly cramped, he finally pulled the last piece of cloth away and faced his son as he truly was nowadays.

* * *

Luke hadn't known what to expect, but his father's description of a monster certainly didn't match his. He had feared that his cranial bone would show, that he'd be horribly deformed or that his skin would be covered with puss, but it wasn't the case.

Instead, his father's flesh was pasty white, and long scars ran along his left cheek and to the back of his skull, but other than that... "It's not so bad... Anakin."

For he was staring at Anakin Skywalker, the weathered warrior and repentant Sith/Jedi... the man who had fathered him.

However, if he saw him that way, the older man certainly didn't and his gaze hardened in displeasure, his sunken blue eyes turning into icy chips. "That name no longer has any meaning for me."

Luke wouldn't be deterred and stopped him from hiding himself again. "Then who are you, because you aren't Darth Vader anymore?"

Anakin's stare shifted to the ground. "Anakin Skywalker died a horrible death, on the bank of a lava river on Mustafar... He was burnt to death after his best friend – his Jedi brother and master – severed all his remaining real limbs... Vader was born from the hatred that festered in me after that day... and died when I realized that I had hurt you just as bad on Bespin..."

"Then reclaim your name, at least. You should never have given it up, and _he_ is my father. If you think of yourself that way, then you _are_ Anakin."

"But-"

"Not the same Anakin, granted," he interrupted wisely, "but then, everyone changes and mature."

* * *

Vader... Anakin?... Vader?... He didn't know anymore... He had certainly not expected his son to challenge him on his identity... He had been content to know that he had changed and that his son was slowly opening up to him despite their past; he hadn't dared think any further than that.

Then, Luke had called him by his former name and he had balked in resistance.

No, no, he wasn't a good man anymore. Not _that_ good and selfless and... reckless man...

Then, his son – wiser than his age implied, sometimes – had suggested that he was not _exactly_ that man even though he still rightfully held that name.

He twisted his chapped lips in uncertainty and disagreement, thought some more about his shortcomings, but also his path throughout life and how he truly wasn't Vader anymore. Finally, he quirked his lips a little and gazed up at his impish son. "Maturity, huh? That's what it boils down to for you?"

"Well," the boy returned with a smirk of his own, "you admitted yourself that you used to be reckless and too addicted to adventures, the imperative here being the past tense. What does _that_ tell you?"

Even as he had a flashback of his mother asking him a similar question when he had asked if he'd ever see her again, he understood who Luke also reminded him of and he made up his mind about his identity. "My mom and your mother used to call me Ani."

"Then does that mean that I can call you Dad?" Luke asked, his face lighting up with a bright smile that came straight from his mother's register of expressions.

"Hmmm, if you like, but Anakin or Father will do fine, too."

"Okay, I'll take it as it comes. As for changes," he continued, stopping him from wrapping the clothes back around his head, "you don't need those anymore... and the light of the sun will probably help your complexion."

"Really?" he asked playfully, putting his fabric _mask_ away and into an open pack. "And what's wrong with my complexion?"

"Oh," his son shrugged teasingly, "I'd just expect a darker shade from a Tatooine export, you know?"

"Yeah, well, I left when I was nine years old, so I spent almost half my life away from the furnace you call home, and the other half of it cut off from any form of natural light. The latter is murder on one's good looks, as you can see."

He tentatively lifted a hand to his mauled cheek and then thought better and touched his neck guard instead. Luke noticed his movement and pushed himself closer.

"Do you need help with that?"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure that I can remove it already. Every time I try to pull it off, it seems locked in place. The only times it is removed from me, it is always done by droid arms in my meditation chamber."

"Let me see." The boy managed to kneel on his good knee and balanced himself against his strong back before he studied the sturdy collar attentively. "Ah, I see what's blocking you. I can probably help you, but..." He looked around, "I need to sit on that fallen tree so that I can reach inside with more ease."

With Ani's help, the boy sat on the fallen tree trunk, their – his – portable repair kit spread beside him. Anakin sat under him and bent his legs to offer a counter traction to Luke's involuntary push against his back as the boy braced his weight against his shoulders to avoid losing his precarious balance.

"So," Luke began while he pulled open the back of the guard and pushed it as far forward as it would go. "you and mom lied to everyone about your marriage? That must have been very hard considering your smoldering love for one another."

"It was," he answered, amused that his son had picked up on their passion even though he had only been told about it. "After your mother admitted that she had fallen in love with me in spite of her best efforts not to, she agreed to marry me in secret, just like I had suggested before. At that point in time, I would have given up the Jedi order without a second thought if it meant being with her, but she wouldn't let me. Perhaps she should have..."

"Or perhaps she knew how miserable you'd have been, cut off from the action."

"And the war had begun...," he reluctantly agreed. "We all had our role cut out for ourselves, it's true." He remained silent a moment, listening to Luke's effort against a restraint that secured his neck guard against his shoulder pad. "The war kept us apart more often than not. I was rarely on Coruscant, but when we were finally together... I often wondered how Obi-Wan couldn't figure where I disappeared, unless he knew..." He pondered that possibility for a moment. "Did he ever mention anything about that to you?"

"No, sorry. However, it wouldn't surprise me that he knew and that he was happy for you even if you couldn't tell him. He knew what mattered, I think."

Anakin cleared his throat in doubt. "Hmmm, perhaps when you met him after years of exile, but when I knew him... well, let's just say that he was making the Jedi council proud. He never had a hair out of place, never held a rebellious thought, or accomplished an unsanctioned action. He certainly didn't have a secret lover for whom he betrayed his vows to the Jedi code."

"Ah... but you were happy, right?"

"I thought I wasn't, but now I know that I was, and most certainly when I was with your mother. She truly was my angel, my island of peace and serenity amidst the turmoil of the war. I could always count on her to offer solace and love and understanding when everywhere else was caught in hatred and violence. As long as we stayed well clear of any political topics, that is," he smirked in self-directed humor.

"You disagreed?"

"She was amongst the leaders that resisted and questioned Palpatine's decisions related to the war and the sacrifices that it required from everyone. She could feel that something was wrong and tried to raise people's awareness of it. I, on the other hand, agreed with the decisive way Palpatine led the senate... I once accused her of speaking like a separatist – our enemy – while she told me that she was afraid that the Republic had become exactly like what we said we were fighting against. At the time, it didn't make sense to me or anyone... She was wiser than us all."

"She sounds like a great politician," Luke observed while he strained against another bolt.

One side of the guard finally came loose and he shifted his attention to the other side of his head.

"She would have made a magnificient Supreme Chancellor."

"So will Leia, after the war," his son retorted absentmindedly.

Anakin didn't answer, but he agreed that if the senate was ever reinstated, the rebel princess had all the required potential for that kind of position.

"What about Mon Mothma?" he inquired, curious to know his son's opinion about the woman who had been one of Padme's political allies.

"She'll help recreate what was lost, that's for sure, but when the votes come in, I don't think she'll get the majority. Leia is much more popular than her nowadays. She's also more present in the field and people appreciate that. On the other hand, Mon has done a lot for the cause and she is acknowledged as such. I don't know... it will be up to the Force, I guess."

The last screw came off and Anakin was finally freed from the rigid neck guard that had limited his range of movement for two decades.

"With that off, you can also remove the shoulder pad if you want."

He didn't need to be offered twice; working together, they temporarily removed his breathing mask, quickly pulled the large metallic pad up and off his person, and threw it aside with great satisfaction while Anakin reluctantly put the mask back on.

The older man then relished the feeling of having a weight literally taken off his shoulders, forever. He had forgotten how heavy that part of the suit had really been, forcing him to hold a straight posture to avoid losing balance on his long prosthesis. Just because he could do it, he slumped down and relaxed, taking deep and long breaths until he grew aware that Luke had slumped down from his perch and was sitting beside him, watching him.

"Feels good, I see."

"That's the understatement of the year," he nodded, keeping his eyes closed.

"Do you think that your lungs can ever be healed?" the boy asked, bending his left leg in a semi-meditative posture while he leaned back on the heels on his hands.

"I used to think that if it could be done, I wouldn't wear that mask anymore. However, in light of all my recent discoveries and epiphanies... I dare hope so. I just don't see how they could be..."

"What about the Force? Yoda mentioned that it could be used to heal."

"Well, it was not a wide-spread skill, even when the Jedi were countless... but there's another hope, yes," he smiled encouragingly at his earnest son.

He was then surprised when Luke shifted closer and leaned his head on his free right shoulder. Hesitatingly, almost scared that he would hurt him by touching him like this, Anakin wrapped his arm around his shoulder and drew him closer to his side. Luke wrapped his arms around him and shed tears he hadn't seen coming.

"I wish it had been different," he said his voice quiet and steady despite the tears that ran slowly down his cheeks.

"You and I both, Son. You and I both." Only the sounds of the forest during the day interrupted the portent silence that followed. "Tell me about your childhood, please?"

The previous night, they had talked at length about how Luke had gotten involved with the Alliance and how he had yearned with all his heart for a life other than that of a farmboy, and they had covered the years that Vader had chased him, but they hadn't chatted about his younger years.

"I wanted to be a pilot like my father," Luke smiled against his side, his breath lightly tickling his exposed skin through one of the slashes that adorned his damaged leather suit. "That was all I knew about you, and that was all that mattered. I must have flown model ships the equivalent of twice the length of the galaxy while I was at the farmstead. I could never get enough. And I loved the stars." He chuckled slightly. "Uncle Owen blamed Aunt Beru for that, saying that she had told me too many stories about them instead of the life on Tatooine."

"I can imagine," he conceded. He hadn't known his step-brother all that much, but unimaginative and _so-damn-grounded_ was definitely some of the traits that he remembered him by.

"I guess that I was daydreaming just a little too much after a while... I had good grades at school, but they could have been better if I had been more attentive and dedicated. I just wanted to get out _there_, you know?"

"Oh yes. I wanted to visit them all, remember?"

"I had a few friends... mostly one best friend, Biggs Darklighter. I met him when my aunt brought me to the Darklighter's farm for a transaction. We didn't really become friends until school began. He was three years older than me. Together, we were mischievous, but we also mutually fed our dreams of becoming pilots. We were always borrowing our families' speeders, racing them wherever we could. Then, when we were of legal age to fly bigger ships, we both got skyhoppers – I saved money for mine three years in advance, of course – and we flew whenever we could. We wanted to be the hottest gully jumpers of Tatooine. We were adventurous, we loved challenges, and everything was a friendly competition between us."

"And I bet _you_ were often the best pilot."

"Well... yeah," Luke blushed and pulled away slightly. "But he was really good, too. He introduced me to the gang of youths in Anchorhead and we clashed at first sight." He smiled in forlorn reminiscence. "They used to call me Wormie because I couldn't say no to Uncle Owen. To them, I was a goody-two-shoes-"

"But you _are_ a goody-two-shoes, too," he teased him knowingly, referring to the weakness that Vader had learnt to exploit for his Bespin trap and that he had explained to the boy the previous day.

"Yeah, well, I owed Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru everything... They needed me. They didn't have money to hire more hands, and without me, they would quickly lose any possible income and would starve or, in Tatooine's case, die of dehydration. Of course, the one-more-year argument lost credibility after coming up for three years in a row, but I still wouldn't have left without at least making sure that they'd be all right."

"But the Force decided otherwise."

"Yeah... I never saw the Anchorhead gang ever again, and Biggs... Biggs went to the Academy, jumped ship and joined the Alliance. We were together during the attack on the Death Star at Yavin... He was my wingman during the trench run... Vader shot him out of the sky. Biggs died protecting me..."

New tears slid down his cheeks but this time, he turned away to wipe them off.

Anakin almost felt sorry for bringing up that subject. He hadn't known... hadn't even suspected that Luke's childhood could be linked to any of his crimes against the boy... "I'm sorry, Son."

"Yeah... me, too." He kept his back turned to him, and then shuffled back toward the tree trunk and used it to stand back on his foot. "I think we should get going again. The sun will set eventually and we'd be safer elsewhere for the night."

Anakin understood that his son needed to make peace with the memories that had just churned up in his mind during his retelling.

The fallen Jedi silently agreed and, handing a pack to his son, moved to the other one and refilled it.

They would talk again later.

* * *

TBC

Well? How was that? How did you like Vader's various plans to get them out of trouble and Luke into medical care, and away once again when troopers show up? His decision to disguise himself and what he chose to be? And how about Luke's reaction to his father's various actions and revelations? Anything else stood out for you?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) They are also a great incentive to post more and faster than scheduled ;P (hint hint ? ;P)


	5. Chapter 5

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2012

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor. However, before he could reach hyperspace, he was shot down and crashed on Myrkr. He became gravelly injured when the shuttle exploded and Vader found him even as the Emperor turned against his traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid, but before he could be fit with a prosthetic leg, they were forced to hide back into the forest. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bond over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations are pleasant.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details :)

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Part 5: Still reckless

Hours later, night was once again falling over Myrkr's forest and the Skywalkers had stopped for the night.

Unlike the previous evening, however, they hadn't set up camp yet.

Instead, Luke was sitting on the ground, holding his blaster in ready position while keeping an eye on his father and his latest ill-conceived plan.

Even though they hadn't talked much since their conversation about the battle of Yavin and Bigg's death, Luke wasn't upset enough with the man to let him risk his neck without voicing his disagreement about his ongoing acrobatics.

A loud snap of dry wood drew the youth's focus back up and into the tree where his father was climbing toward a possible safe spot.

"Are you sure that this is safe, Father?" he asked in concern, his eyes locked on the moving lights of his father's electronic chest plate. "I still think that we should stay on the ground where-"

A loud Hutteese curse resounded from the thick canopy that partly hid the adventurous ex-Sith even as more branches snapped loudly under the man's heavy weight.

"Father!" Luke suddenly shouted when he caught sight once again of the man's trademark breastplate, only to realize that it was drawing closer with each passing moment. Anakin's imposing silhouette was hurtling down!

Luke struggled to his remaining knee even as he tried to keep his eyes on the dark shape of his father while the man crashed and broke through branches that weren't sturdy enough to stop his fall.

"Try and catch on something- anything!" the youth advised him needlessly, yet what else could he do? With the Force, he would have been able to try and stop or at least cushion his fall – but then with the Force, his father wouldn't be falling either...

Or would he?

While he debated his remaining options with himself, Anakin, who was still falling although slower after landing for a moment on a large branch before it, too, had broken under his steel-covered body, was not defeated yet. He twisted around once again, focusing on his attempt to grasp any branch that would be sturdy enough to hold his falling weight.

Back on the ground, Luke was completely oblivious to their dangerous ground surrounding, his attention completely focused on the accident in the making. He bit his lip and shifted further forward to help his father even though he couldn't do anything, and then the leather-clad silhouette finally broke through the leaves right above Luke. He gasped in shock and surprise even as Anakin huffed loudly as he came to a jarring halt on one of the lower branches.

Another string of Hutteese swear words informed the younger Skywalker that his sire was not only still conscious after his fall but that he was also unharmed.

Mostly.

"Father!" he called and hobbled on three until he could use the tree trunk to stand up and reach toward the hanging hands of the recovering ex-Sith. "Are you okay?"

"I miss the Force," the older man groaned weakly even as he slowly steadied his grip on the branch. He then appeared to hold his breath before he painfully pushed himself to a straighter position.

Despite all that, however, Luke couldn't help but sigh in relief. After all, if his father could joke about their predicament, then he was okay. "I know what you mean. Now come down from there. I told you that it was not wise to climb up there."

"No need to rub it in, Luke," Anakin griped, and then swung himself down until he merely hung from his gloved hands.

The Jedi heard his father's new groan of complaint and he understood that although unharmed, the rough landing had still taken its toll on the older man's debilitated body. He fervently prayed the Force that he hadn't broken a rib during his fall.

Meanwhile, the ex-dark lord let go of the branch and fell heavily on the moss-covered ground, his metallic prosthesis vibrating hard enough from the unsoftened impact that Luke actually heard the low sound that they made.

The youth would have then pointed out that their weight wasn't meant for climbing up trees, but he belatedly spotted the inert body of a lizard-like creature and drew back in disgust when he realized that it was actually trapped in his father's belt. "What's that?"

* * *

Puzzled by the question, Anakin gazed down at what his son was pointing and started at the sight of the dead lizard that was hanging haphazardly against his thigh.

While he had run into more than one similar creature on his way up the tree, and that he had felt at least one of them cushion his fall – and being squished to death by his imposing weight – he hadn't noticed that the lizard had also gotten stuck to him.

"An ysalamir," he answered. Then aware of his son's sensitivity to any form of living being in pain or dead, he quickly turned around to block him from the unsettling sight. While he did so, he also began pulling at the limp animal, working as fast as he could to free its torn body from wherever it had managed to attach itself to him during their brief physical contact. In the near darkness he couldn't see exactly what had happened, nor did he care.

All that mattered to him was to put the animal to rest and stop frightening his son with his apparent cruelty toward even harmless creatures.

When he gave a sharp tug against a still resisting limb, even he grimaced at the wet sound that indicated that something organic had just been ripped up and sure enough, the lizard's blood now ran free, staining his gloves while sliding down his leather-covered left leg.

He could only be grateful that he was wearing black so that the blood stain would not be too apparent even during daylight. With a last twist of his mechanical fingers, he finished his gruesome work and quickly stepped toward the nearest bush where he hid the undoubtedly-sheared carcass.

He then used the large leaves of another shrub to wipe his gloves and his left thigh clean.

Just like Luke wouldn't like to know that he was still stained by it, Anakin didn't care either about bearing the remaining signs of his latest – if accidental – victim any longer than he had to.

If the Force could pity him a little, they would find a stream or a water point tomorrow and he would be to wash it off completely, but until then, the leaves would have to do.

Behind him, Luke had remained extremely quiet and even without the Force, Ani knew that his sharp blue eyes hadn't missed any of his latest actions.

Bracing himself for a bad reaction, he slowly turned around and studied his staring boy. When the young Jedi silently turned his head away and focused on sitting back down, Anakin decided to try and comfort him. "It was an accident, Luke. You must know that I would never harm an innocent anymore."

"I… I know," the young Jedi shook himself out of his shock. "It's just..." He fell silent, unable to voice his thoughts further.

Relieved that, at least, his son wasn't holding a worse grudge against him than his actual one, Anakin quietly sat near him yet was careful to gave him space as well. Nodding at him in silent comprehension of his dilemma, he extended his hand to the side and pulled to him the medpack that laid nearby. "I seem to have a problem keeping animal remains from my person, I know," he finally commented, properly subdued.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the child shiver in disgust before the boy focused back on him and his actions and shifted closer. "Are you all right?" he finally inquired and reached out with his hand to check his chest. "What can I do to help?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Just scratches and contusions, and a very bruised ego," he added with a slight smirk that Luke couldn't see yet might hear if he listened carefully.

Reassured by his lighthearted comment, his son nodded and turned back to his surveillance, which he had abandoned for long moments. They had just been lucky that nothing had come after them during his latest misadventure.

After that, silence filled the space between them, their situation resuming where it had ended before his unwise acrobatics.

Aware that Luke was still upset by what they had talked about earlier during the day, Anakin quietly tended to himself while he pondered how he could possibly make it up to the boy.

That's when his hand brushed against the two lightsabers that hung from his belt and he figured out his answer.

Wordlessly, he unhooked his son's captured weapon from his belt and, after carefully making sure that it was clean of any blood, he silently extended his hand toward the quiet youth.

Luke was surprised enough by his gesture of trust that he turned his disbelieving blue eyes back toward him yet didn't move to grasp the precious weapon from him.

"I believe that this is yours," Anakin simply said and put the weapon on the ground and as close as possible to its true owner. "I should have given it back to you much earlier, I'm sorry."

The surrounding forest once again forgotten, his son gazed down at the inert handle and slowly touched it with his fingertips yet didn't grasp it from the ground like he should.

"Luke," Anakin tried again, wishing nothing else but to shoo away his son's lasting melancholia. "I'm sorry for everything and anything that I ever did to you and your friends, even before we knew that we were related. You have to believe me when I say that I wish that I could go back in time and change everything that I did wrong with Obi-Wan, with the Jedi, and with your mother. We should never have been enemies."

He then fell silent and waited for the boy's next move. He winced in guilt when he saw the youth clench his fists and eyes in obvious regret and resentment, and then the child forced himself to relax and, opening his eyes once again, barely touched the handle that laid right beside him.

"The saber I lost on Bespin… Was it truly yours?" he asked finally.

"It was one of mine, yes," Anakin answered, drawing a perplexed gaze from the child.

"_One_ of yours?" he frowned in confusion. "How many did you have?"

"Three so far, but I will build a fourth as soon as possible," he assured him as he inadvertently implied his shameful Sith weapon in his explanation. "The one you had on Bespin was my second lightsaber, as well as my last Jedi blade before now."

"Obi-Wan had said that you wanted me to have it when I was old enough," the boy commented wistfully while he finally hefted his own blade into his hand.

Anakin sighed at yet another reason to regret all his wrong choices. It could have been so very different for the two of them. "Although I didn't know that I would have a son back when he captured it from me, Obi-Wan was right that, had I been sane that day, I would have wanted you to have it if I were to pass away."

* * *

Luke nodded quietly, his thoughts focused on his father's revelations. At least, Obi-Wan hadn't lied about _that_. As for his father's history with the lost weapon- "Why was it your second Jedi blade? What happened to the first?"

"It was damaged during a mission in a droid foundry. I had lost it a few times before that, and I had been separated from it on more than one occasions, but this accident forced me to build another one. Obi-Wan had a field day when he found out about that."

"I can imagine. I mean, isn't a lightsaber supposed to be a Jedi's life, which means that we should never be parted from it?" Luke inquired even as he remembered his own lessons concerning the unique weapon.

"Obi-Wan taught you that, didn't he?" Anakin grimaced lightly. "And as far as holding onto our weapons, didn't you have to build your own lightsaber recently?"

"Touche," Luke conceded and his eyes went back to the said weapon that he held in his left hand. "I felt so ashamed after I lost your lightsaber... my Jedi weapon... Because of that, I felt unworthy of the title for a long while afterward."

Anakin nodded silently. "I didn't feel much better after I lost my arm in a brash duel against Count Dooku. If not for your mother, I would have wallowed in self-pity for quite a while afterward."

"Leia was the one who pulled me out of my funk," Luke answered, and then, making up his mind for the moment, handed his weapon back to his father. "Here, keep it for now. You are physically better equipped than I am to wield it, and I bet you know how to handle two blades simultaneously."

* * *

Anakin was thoroughly surprised by his son's offer but he still took back the proffered weapon. His wiser-than-his-age son was right once again, of course. "I've learnt a few tricks along the way," he answered, memories of his first duel against Dooku drifting back to the surface of his mind. "By the way," he changed topic, "you built a very fine blade, Son. I am impressed considering your lack of advanced training. Was it the Force that guided you?"

"Nah, I found an old book at Ben's house. It was still hard work and I wasn't sure that I had done it right until I actually turned it on."

Anakin shook his head at his son's continuous propensity to doubt both himself and his limitless aptitudes in the Jedi arts. "You did extremely well, Son. This is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, even better than some blades of the old order."

"Really?" the child gaped, dumbfounded. "But surely, with the guidance of the numerous Jedi masters and the experience of countless Jedi before them-"

"Actually, it was the over-abundance of both information and help that weakened the designs of some lightsabers. Some of them were simply built too fast to be anything but a fancy weapon of light."

"Oh," the boy nodded, and then fell silent and turned toward the pack that was closest to him. "Are you hungry?"

"Always, just like you," Anakin retorted easily and stood up. "I'll gather wood for the fire."

With a last gaze of common understanding, he briefly left the boy alone, aware and grateful that their latest rift was now a thing of the past.

Furthermore, Luke had proven that he still trusted him with his life and safety.

Now, if they could avoid anymore unhappy common memories, things might just be fine between him and his gentle Jedi son.

He fervently hoped that it could be so.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? How did you like Anakin's initial idea? Luke's reaction to it? And his attempt to make peace with his distant son? How about Ani's problems with the local fauna ;P Anything else stood out for you?

Have a great week everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) They are also a great incentive to post more and faster than scheduled ;P (hint hint ? ;P)


	6. Chapter 6

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2012

* * *

Previously: A few months after ESB, Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor. However, before he could reach hyperspace, he was shot down and crashed on Myrkr. He became gravelly injured when the shuttle exploded and Vader found him even as the Emperor turned against his traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid, but before he could be fit with a prosthetic leg, they were forced to hide back into the forest. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bond over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations are pleasant.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really meant a lot to me!

Since I have answered the signed review, here are my answers to the anonymous ones :)

See180movie: Thanks for your great comment and interest :) I'm glad you're enjoying it so far :)

H666: Thanks :) Glad you are liking it :)

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details :)

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D

* * *

After last post, I realized that I forgot to give the results of the survey. Well, in case you didn't figure it out on your own from the only two stories that I updated, Unexpected and An Unfortunate Blessing finished ex-aequo. Therefore, I am now focusing only on those two stories.

However, that doesn't mean that the other stories will be abandoned as I still feel like visiting them from time to time. As a result, I will probably update them as well from time to time, like during vacation time or long week-ends. So, if you want to share your thoughts about them as well now that the vote is over, please don't hesitate I always love to hear from readers

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to George Lucas. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

Part 6: Welcome turn of events

The next day, two welcome turns of events awaited the Jedi fugitives.

One of them was that, by the end of the day, they crossed path with a blessedly calm river, which they both took advantage of, if in turns.

The second was that, while at that stopover, they heard the nearby and departing roar of several imperial shuttles.

Perfectly attuned to the unique pitch of their engines, Ani surmised that the Emperor had finally accepted the reports of his death and the troops were leaving Myrkr for good.

He refocused his attention on his son, who had dunked himself under the water, hiding in case of an aerial survey. The boy gasped as he re-emerged after a long immersion, naturally out of breath. He then lowered himself back into the water until only his head was visible and instantly sought his concealed form.

He saw the youth relax at his once-again exposed sight on the river bank. "They're gone," he confirmed while he resumed his surveillance of their immediate surroundings.

"Are we sure?" Luke inquired, wading closer to the shoreline.

Anakin barely threw a frown at his dubious son before he focused back on the overhanging branches where vornsks could lurk. "There were at least four heavy-duty transport shuttles, so I'd say yes, we can be reasonably certain that didn't leave anyone behind." Couldn't Luke trust his-

"Unless they only sent replacements?" the intelligent rebel commander countered effortlessly.

Although he sighed loudly in annoyance, the truth was that Ani didn't want to admit that this concern had occurred to him as well. He had dimly hoped that his naïve son would not be experienced enough to think of that possibility, but he had apparently underestimated the child.

Again.

That only left the problem of figuring out what they should do to make sure that the Empire had, indeed, left the planet.

"We'll just have to be remain careful for a while, that's all," his son supplied, as if aware of his pondering and unwilling admissions even though they were both cut off from the Force.

"Yes, I suppose. However, we are still headed back to Hillyard City now. If replacements have been sent, we will detect their presence long before we come within sight of the city."

"Agreed," his boy nodded while he returned in the deeper part of the river before he seemed to fuss with something underwater.

Reassured that the youth was not in any danger, Anakin only kept an eye on him through his peripheral vision. Force, he just wanted to leave this forest behind so that his son could be safe from all the vornsks that wanted him for their next meal.

* * *

In the water, Luke used his temporary buoyancy to remove his trousers and pull them to the surface. There, he hooked them to his shoulders before he swam back to the shallows were he proceeded to clean them as much as possible.

Once he was done, he wrung them as dry as he could and tossed them on the grass-covered part of the riverbank.

"You swim pretty well for a Tatooine export," his father commented after he attracted his attention with his actions.

"I told you that I had learnt since leaving Tatooine. My near miss with a dianoga made it a priority, too."

"Dianoga?" Anakin frowned, his shoulders tensing in fatherly concern.

If there was one thing that Luke was getting to know about his father, it was his overprotective nature. Anakin just didn't want _anything_ to happen to him, not even when they hadn't known about each other's existence.

It was also kind of hypocritical of him since his alter ego had caused him more grief than any other enemy, sentient or not.

But what was done was done, Luke knew. He only wished that his father also remembered that. "It happened while I was aboard DS, during Leia's rescue. It wasn't part of my plan but we ended up visiting the garbage compactor. A dianoga had elected residence there and it took a liking to me. I didn't even know how to hold my breath at the time, so if not for Han, it would have drowned me even before the compactor initiated its working cycle."

"Solo again? How many times did he save your life?"

"Too many times to count, I'm afraid."

Han... he paused on his thought. Speaking about their first misadventure together brought back images of the daredevil pilot who had become like his big brother.

His missing big brother…

"What is it?" his father inquired in the sudden silence.

Apparently, something had given away his change of disposition. "Do you know where Han is nowadays? If he's all right? Is Boba Fett already on Tatooine?"

"I didn't keep tabs on Fett's whereabouts, sorry. Besides, with Solo gone, you can reconquer the princess so even if I did know where he was, I'm not sure I would tell you."

"Reconquer?" Luke scowled, completely at a loss as to his father's comment. What was _that_ about?

Now it was Anakin's turn to be confused by the other's reaction. He furrowed his brows in disagreement with his son's unspoken argument. "Surely she told you about Solo's attempt to romance her. I have to admit that I was quite stunned when she showed signs of attachment to the scoundrel. Her father would never have approved of Solo. You, on the other hand... and I would most definitely support any honorable intention you have with her. She is a strong-willed, strong-spirited young woman; a perfect match for someone with your personality _and_ powers. In a way, she reminds me a lot of your mother. She, too, was a perfect match for-"

"Wait a minute!", Luke interrupted, wading closer to the shore yet remaining deep enough to easily balance himself on his remaining leg. "It's not like that at all. Leia and I are only best friends, father. True, at first, I was smitten with her, but she and Han belong together. They are perfect for each other, at least when they stop arguing like a married couple."

If Luke expected a reaction from his dumbfounded father, it was not the one he received. Scorn. "And you just bowed down out of the competition?" Anakin reprimanded him in disbelief.

It was Luke's turn to grow defensive. "I did not. Besides, it's not a competition. It's Leia's choice and I only want her to be Happy."

"With Solo," Anakin scoffed.

The young Jedi really didn't like where this was going. What did it matter to his father if he had stepped down to leave the field free for his best friend to court the one girl he felt like he should be with? It was not any of his business, either as Vader or as Anakin. Besides… "She never looks at me like she does him, and although she and I have shared even our worst moments in each other's company, and that we once kissed on the lips, we're only best friends. And that's all right," he added quickly when he saw his father prepare another argument. "Nowadays, Leia is kind of like the sister I never had, just like Han is my surrogate older brother. Did you know that Leia and I were born on the same day? Empire Day. I was born on the very first one, she, on the Empire's second anniversary. Weird, huh, considering how we're now both amongst its greatest enemies."

"The Force certainly is ironic, Son, yes. So, I guess that there won't be another fairytale story of a Skywalker and a political royalty then. I can only hope that you will not regret your choice when it will be too late."

"I won't. As for Leia, she is not attracted to me, but if she were, she'd wouldn't anymore once she knew about... us... She hates Vader with a vengeance."

"I can't blame her," Anakin conceded, turning glum.

"Me either but I am still worried for her. It just doesn't feel right when she is under the influence of her despise for the Sith... Not anymore than us kissing."

* * *

While Anakin was still reluctantly digesting his son's decision to watch from the sidelines as Organa and Solo grew closer and closer to one another, Luke's latest comment drew him out of his defeatist musings. "You can Feel that in her regards? Not only her emotions?"

"Not till recently, but lately, yes. I think it's because we touched each other's mind on Bespin and that we haven't completely broken the link since then... I have to admit that, even if I knew how to do that, I don't want to. It allows me to keep a closer eye on her, even when she doesn't want me to."

Ani couldn't help it. He shook his head in amazement, studying his son very intently while he understood that he still knew him too little to truly understand him. However, his care was a very familiar personality trait, indeed. "You really are your mother's son, Luke. Like her, you are ready to sacrifice even your own happiness for that of others. Personally, I couldn't have given up on your mother, not even if she hadn't returned my love. I adored her too much for that."

Whatever tension had been rising between the two Skywalker males ebbed with that comment and Luke visibly relaxed while he once again made his way closer to the shore of the river. "As I said, I respect Leia's choice and besides, it is easier for me to merely be her best friend with no ulterior motive. I am more comfortable that way."

"Hmmm, but still," Anakin mused out loud while he shouldered his blaster and walked closer to the river edge. "She could do so much better than that smuggler." He couldn't help the disgust that dripped from his voice as he said the last word.

"Han is a great man, Father, and he is another of my best friends. If you come with me after this," Luke warned him, coming to a halt once again, as if to maintain distance between them to illustrate their divergence of opinion, "you will have to accept him because Leia, Chewie and I will rescue him, if not from Fett, then from Jabba. After that, you will often see him around me. I will not give up my friendship with him, not even for your sake or to spare you frustration."

If the idea of being close to Solo irritated him, the mention of Jabba sent his blood boiling with disgust. "Jabba is not to be trifled with, Luke. I will not let you endanger your life so pointlessly."

"It is not your decision to make," his stubborn son retorted with mild vehemence. "It's my life, he's _my_ surrogate older brother, just like Ben was for you, and he saved my lives many times over. I owe him, and even if I didn't, I'm his friend and I'm a Jedi now. If I can't save him, no one can."

Although he truly loved his son, defiance and all, there were still times where he found himself gnashing his teeth and clenching his fists in utmost frustration. Why did he have to be _so_ stubborn? He asked, ruminating on his growing annoyance about his son's personality trait. Even when they were not enemies anymore, every argument was like a duel of both wits and lightsabers with him.

Why, oh why did he have to inherit both his father's and his mother's hard-headedness?

The Force was certainly not without irony even in his regards, he, who had been believed to be its Chosen one.

With a sigh of resignation, he relaxed his taut muscles. "Then I'll go with you at Jabba's."

* * *

Aware that his father would take matters into his own hands if he pushed him too far, Luke carefully kept quiet while he watched the older man debate with himself. He wished that the outcome would be positive because, although the water was fairly comfortable, he was turning into a prune.

However, he didn't dare go near his upset father when he was on the edge of snapping like at the moment.

It brought back too many bad memories that he would just as soon forget.

He was pondering if he could make it out of the river on his own without dirtying himself all over again when his sire finally spoke again.

Luke stared up at him, equally surprised and elated by his decision.

Anakin shook his gloved hand upon seeing his grateful expression. "Let us be clear, Son. I'm not doing it for the Princess, and certainly not for Solo, but you are not going anywhere near that hive of scum and villainy alone."

"Father," he still answered, grateful that he hadn't tried for another, more coercive kind of approach that would have put them at odds yet again.

"I managed to break free from slavery under the Hutts, I will not let you risk it in any way."

While Luke winced at the reminder of his father's unsuspected origins, he still snorted at the idea of him surviving any capture at Jabba's hands. "He'd probably kill me to make even more of a name for himself."

Although he didn't step closer to him, Luke suddenly felt as if his father's large silhouette was looming over him; in fact, the older man had simply straightened up and taken a step that blocked the light from shining directly around Luke. "You underestimate the market value of the last of Jedi, Son. Furthermore, with the colossal bounty on head, you'd most likely end up on Coruscant in the Emperor's dungeons and our escape through this vornsk infested forest would become pointless."

While he had been rebutting him, Anakin had grown agitated to the point that Luke could describe him as actually nervous. It was clear that his father was truly worried about his well-being, and not only because he was being overprotective but also because he knew what awaited him if he ever fell in enemy hands.

"All right," he nodded, conciliating, "I welcome your help. I don't know about Leia and the others, but if it brings Han home faster, I'm sure they won't object to it either."

While Luke expected his answer to reassure his scowling father, the man's disposition didn't change in any way.

"Are you all right?"

Anakin's blue eyes were icy chips of ice as he locked them on him. "The Hutts enslaved your grandmother... It is because of them that she ended up on Tatooine and was eventually killed by Tusken Raiders... I hate them. I hate them all."

Whereas Luke had understood that Anakin's temper was still volatile when something didn't please him, his latest comment clarified what had been happening throughout the past minutes of their conversation.

Vader was once again rearing its ugly helmet head.

"Father," he tried to appease him.

"I care about you," Ani shook his head in negative, "and I truly want to fix my mistakes in any way I can, but I hate the Hutts and Palpatine, and don't ask me to change that," he warned him ponderously. "I can't."

* * *

Vader expected his son to plead with him not to give into those feelings once again, his answer shocked him still.

"Then you are not completely freed from your worst slavery ever... that to the Dark Side of the Force... and as long as you serve it even a little, we cannot be together."

_'You are going down a path I cannot follow.'_

Padme's heartbroken expression and statement suddenly surimposed itself over his son's disappointed features and Anakin felt as if he had just been doused by cold water.

It was happening again.

"Is it really that hard, Father?" Luke challenged him further. "Why can't you give it up completely? What has the darkness brought you besides loss, unceasing torment and loneliness?"

"You don't know the power of the Dark Side, Son..." he replied without thinking about it.

Just like he had been taught by his unforgiving Sith master.

"I know, but you do, and you know that, like for a drug, you grow addicted to it. Your words, remember?"

Anakin could only nod dumbly. How could he forget his own portent warning words this quickly? "I don't want us to part ways again once we're away from here. I can't lose you the way I lost your mother," he admitted from the bottom of his heart.

"Then complete what you have already begun and let go of your hate. It can only keep you shackled to the Dark Side. Besides, it is not the real you... You care much more than you hate; I have seen it for myself now."

And there was his wiser-than-his-age son, teaching him yet again when it should be the other way around. Would he ever learn? He wondered, mentally rapping himself over the head for his shortcomings. "I have a bad temper, Luke. I have been known for my brooding habits, and even more so since Mustafar."

"Perhaps, but you haven't been for the past week even though our predicament is less than joyous." The ever observant child pointed out cleverly. "There is hope yet, Father. You only have to give it a real try."

"Do or do not, Son. There is no try," he corrected him, feeling much more lighthearted than a few moments before.

His son was right. He wasn't doomed to the darkness forever. It was only a question of choice and self-control.

"There you go," his boy encouraged him, visibly reassured by this conclusion.

Anakin decided to change the topic completely. "Back to your earlier revelation, krayt dragon, dianoga, wampa, and now Vornsks, what is it with you and attracting monsters?

"I have no idea," the youth shrugged while he came as close as he could to the edge of the river while retaining his balance on his own. "Aunt Beru used to say that the Skywalker genes were troublemakers. Did you attract trouble as well?"

Aware that the injured youth would need his help to straighten up, Vader stepped down onto the river bank and extended his hand to the waiting boy. Luke gratefully welcomed his help and used him as counterbalance to pull himself to a standing position. Then, with a nod of his help, he allowed him to pick him up bridal style.

"I drew more than my fair share of trouble, indeed, but... How did she know that? We only met once, and all too briefly. We never had time to talk about anything like that."

He brought the child over to his waiting clean clothes and blanket and let him down.

"I suppose she drew that conclusion for your cautionary tale? Or perhaps Ben told her... after I began dealing with my own misadventures in the desert."

"I suppose."

While the child dried himself and put on his still damp clothes, Anakin began gathering their camp. He had been the first to clean himself, but unlike his son, he hadn't immersed himself in the river. He had merely cleaned up from the edge of the riverbank, careful to keep dry his metallic artificial limbs, which were exposed through his damaged suit.

Rust was the last issue he wanted to deal with in this forsaken forest.

Still, he had washed every inch of his exposed skin, hoping to eliminate the horrible hitch that had appeared all over his now exposed skull.

While cleaning the grime had helped, the growing bristle of new hair, beard and even mustache were not done annoying him and his still sensitized skin. However, even though he often had the overwhelming urge to carefully – very carefully - shear them off with his lightsaber blade, he would not give in to his unwise temptation.

He would relieve himself by scratching his head with both pair of hands.

Besides, he was far too thrilled to have hair once again to risk them in any way. Indeed, he had thought that his accident on Mustafar had burnt away his hair forever, but then, after nearly twenty-two years of being completely bald and without a single growth of even facial hair, who would have thought otherwise. However, for the past three days, the presence of extremely short hair was noticeable all over his head, cheeks and jaw.

It was Luke who had figured out that his helmet and mask had probably contained some kind of agent that had inhibited their natural growth.

It was one more reason for him to be grateful for what they had come to refer to as their unfortunate blessing. Indeed, if not for it, they wouldn't have bonded as fast, if ever, and Anakin wouldn't have discovered that he was healthier than he had been led to believe.

Who knew what else they would discover once he would be able to rid himself of the whole system? He could only hope that it would be as miraculous as what he had already discovered.

Anyway, if enduring an annoying hitch was the price to pay to recover a head full of hair, then he gladly paid it. It wouldn't last for much longer anyway.

At least, he hoped so.

"How about we find a clearing where I can dry these?" His less unkempt-looking son, who had been shaved clean during his stay at the medcenter, interrupted his thoughts.

Brushing his gloved right hand over his hair once again, as if to assure himself that the new hairs were still there – and shuddering in reaction to the pleasant sensation of the shifting stems all over his cranium – he nodded in assent and finished packing up their temporary camp.

While doing so, both he and his son kept an eye out for primitive dangers, but for once, they were left alone.

Ten minutes later, they left their latest stopover behind and went in search of a clearing where they could safely lit a fire and dry Luke's clothes before the temperature dropped too much for the night.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? Were you surprised by the turn of their conversation? Anything else to share with me?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) They are also a great incentive to post more and faster than scheduled ;P (hint hint ? ;P)


	7. Chapter 7

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2012

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor before crashing on Myrkr. He became gravelly injured and Vader found him even as the Emperor turned against his traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid, but before he could be fit with a prosthetic leg, they were forced to once again hide into the forest. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bond over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations are pleasant.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really mean a lot to me and I'm really happy that you enjoyed this last part as much as I had fun writing it

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details :)

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D The more I know people read and enjoy this fic, the more I want to post more ASAP and end up _making_ time write more of it (sacrificing other activities or lesser responsibilities in the process ;P)

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Part 7: Of plan B and food**

Two days later, around mid-day, they came within sight of Hylliard City. Like the rest of the forest around them, it appeared to be devoided of imperial presence, but both warriors knew better than to trust appearances.

Hence, they settled in the bushes and well under the cover of the trees, careful to remain out of sight while they carefully monitored the town's activities. Then, they patiently waited for something to happen.

For hours, they remained silent and monitored the distant city, using their rudimentary binoculars to see what the naked eye couldn't.

Unfortunately, with the exception of occasional movement here and there, it was quieter than a temple.

"I think that this place is even more boring than Anchorhead," Luke sighed while he nibbled at his once again tasteless lunch of ration bar. He distractedly scratched at his chin, which now bore the first stubbles of a light brown beard, while he surveyed their immediate surroundings, always wary for attackers.

Laid on his stomach beside him, Anakin continued to watch the deserted-looking town and frowned. "Far too many places could compete with one another in terms of boredom, Son. Still," he paused and turned to gaze directly at him, "backwater world or not, something just doesn't look right about this place. It definitely looked more alive last time we were here." He turned back around and ran another scan of the place before he put down the binocs and rose to a sitting position. "I doubt they evacuated the town," he observed quietly while he mentally ran through his knowledge of imperial procedures in situations such as theirs.

"Unless they killed everyone?.." Luke mumbled and visibly shuddered in dread.

Anakin knew that he was thinking of his guardians who had suffered that unfortunate fate at the hands of overeager stormtroopers. He rested a comforting hand on the nearest shoulder of the dejected child.

"No," he reassured the youth. "There would be no point in that action either. Besides, the inhabitants didn't collaborate with us in any way because they don't even know who we are. No," he concluded out loud, "when a search party is in doubt, the normal procedure is to leave a means of surveillance behind and to monitor the situation from a distance."

"What kind of surveillance are we talking about?" the young rebel inquired, turning toward him with eyes that showed his own attempt to analyze the situation in light of this insight into the enemy's mind.

"It can range from mere recording devices to a squad of troopers and their complement."

Luke's shoulders slumped a little at the mention of the latter option. "So… what would _you_ have left here if you were in command?"

Although Vader was a part of the past for them both, and that Anakin was now extra careful about his bad temper, there was no denying who he used to be, or even the tactical genius that he still was despite his change of allegiance.

He was simply fortunate that Luke was able to accept both parts of his history. That way, they could take advantage of his skills and knowledge born of twenty-one years spent as the Empire's second-in-command, yet they weren't constantly dealing with the horrors that were also implicit with any mention or thought of those years he had wasted serving evil.

"Devices," Ani answered confidently. "Given our Forceless status, they can catch us with only the collaboration of local enforcers, or even stun traps where they would merely have to collect us; we would have no way of avoiding the danger of the traps. If the Emperor is behind their orders, like I suspect he is, then he will have passed on the information about my powerless state while on this planet. He wouldn't want my former troops to fear a confrontation with me if they managed to find me."

"Of course, so that means that the city is as good as off limits," Luke concluded, disgruntled.

"It never was my target anyway," Ani shrugged quietly. "I've been watching the movement of ships and speeders… and they are eerily absent of the picture here."

"No doubt they were confiscated as well," Luke replied before he resumed his tasteless lunch.

Seeing him eating awakened Ani's own hunger. However, unlike his son, his meals were now composed of his nutrient pills; they simply didn't have enough ration bars left for the two of them if they were to last for a while longer in the forest. Since his body was used to the pills that had fed him more often than not throughout the past two decades, he could easily revert to them without suffering any side effect whereas the same wasn't guaranteed if the boy were to rely on them. Whether their efficiency was due to their tailored manufacturing or the fact that Ani's biological body was reduced to about half of what it used to be, the fact was that since they had perfectly served him during his servitude, they would also prove useful here, during his escape from said servitude.

It also allowed his son to eat a little more per meal than he would have if they had had to share the remaining ration bars.

"Did you really eat only those since your surgery?" The child inquired while he watched him insert a few nutrient pills into the chest plate of his suit.

The first time that Luke had seen that particular procedure, he had balked in horror and had argued that they could continue to share the ration bars. When Ani had retorted with a stark refusal to eat what could save the boy's life while he once again ressorted to his usual pills, Luke had stated adamantly that he would rather remain hungry than watch him lower himself back to his previous dependance on yet another cruel means of control that had been cleverly devised by Sidious.

Although deeply touched by his son's compassion about his physical limitations, Anakin had still refused to reconsider his decision and had finished inserting the three pills into the reinforced tube that was carefully tucked behind his breast plate and that went straight into his stomach.

He had then resealed the small conduct, just like he had countless times since his surgery.

Surgery. It was how they had taken to describing the physical transformation that had resulted from his defeat on Mustafar. It wasn't an accident anymore – for it hadn't been - and it wasn't a reason to hate Obi-Wan by constantly referring only to their duel that should have never taken place. The surgery, however, was the moment when he had been forced to undergo the drastic reconstruction of his body that had erased any visible trace of his former self.

_That_ was the true step that had bereft him of ever living normally ever again.

Worse, the operation hadn't healed him as much as transformed him into a cyborg that only retained basic biological functions. It had been a machiavellian design that had worked flawlessly to ensure his indentured loyalty and service forever after.

So, in the end, it wasn't any less pleasant now to refer to this chain of events than before they had chosen that expression, but it allowed him to confront the truth without antagonizing himself further than he already was about the involved parties.

Besides, he couldn't desire Palpatine's agonizing death anymore than he already did, so there was no need to stoke that particular blaze of dangerous hatred with more negative feelings.

He refocused his attention on his son and finally answered his question about his usual feeding regimen as Vader.

"When I finally had time to retire to my private rooms for reasons other than sleep or meditation, I could pressurize my dining room enough to be able to remove my mask and eat a real meal. However, the occasions were few and far in between, mostly because I didn't care much about anything else but my duty to the Emperor or, later on, my desperate search for you."

"Even though you were one of the most powerful men known to the galaxy, you truly were living in a prison. I never would have thought..."

"And I never realized the truth of it until I lost you after Bespin."

"What suddenly made you see your invisible bonds for what they were?" The boy inquired, quietly captivated by his father's new revelation.

"It was when I realized that if I ever brought you in like I had been planning so far, I would lose you once again, the real you. That reminded me of how slave children in Mos Espa were regularly separated from their parents merely because their owners sold them for a profit, the children never to be seen again. It suddenly occurred to me that if Palpatine could claim you without worrying about my will regarding you, as I knew he would, then I could only be a slave… again. From this moment on, everything became clear to me and, although I was still very much tainted by the Dark Side and its influences, I was adamant to protect you from him. I would not let Palpatine destroy my son's life the way he had destroyed his mother's and mine. He would not enslave my child like he had me."

* * *

Luke was watching his father intently while he retold the moment of his epiphany, his heart wrenched in his chest at the mention of what Palpatine had truly done to his father - how he had turned him into the frightening pawn that he required. When the eyes of the larger man began to shine with unshed tears, he could only rest his right hand on his father's left arm.

"It's all right, Father. You're free now, and we will eliminate his threat forever."

When Anakin shifted closer and pulled him up against his side and in the crook of his left arm, Luke didn't resist and leaned further in, wrapping his arms around his father's chest. "It's so messed up, Son. I was so stupid, and arrogant, and naïve... I should have listened to Obi-Wan and Padme... I should have listened to the Jedi's warnings about the Sith. I should have known that I was making a deal with the devil and that it could never end well for any of my loved ones."

"Father," Luke tightened his arms around him a little more.

"I'm so very sorry, Son. I can never say it often enough, yet it is completely pointless after everything I've done... How can you forgive me so easily?" He asked and pushed him just far enough to look him in the eyes. "I hurt you _so_ much."

Luke gazed deeply in his father's blue eyes that were identical to his own. "Because it's the only thing that I can do, Father. Holding a grudge against you would only keep us apart for a longer while, and for what? For a past that can't be altered? I know that you have changed and that's what matters the most to me. I have found my father, and he returned for me. What more could I ask for?" he smiled wanly and leaned back against his father's strong side.

He could never get enough of this close physical contact with the man he had yearned for all his life. In his arms, he felt safe, right at home, and like a little child once again, uncaring about everything that went wrong in the galaxy.

Not even Uncle Owen had ever held him like that.

* * *

Anakin was too relieved by his answer to complain and resumed holding him to himself in a hug- when a loud electronic shriek startled them both.

They swiftly pulled apart and turned their heads in the direction of the city they had been observing, and Anakin cursed in Hutteese, coming up with a string of expressions that Luke had never heard before.

"What is it?" he asked, scanning the city and failing to find the reason for the strange noise that they had heard.

"They installed an isolation shield all around the clearing."

* * *

More Hutteese swearing that tugged Luke's lips into a smirk of amusement at his father's discomfiture. He really had a bad mouth about him, which was not something he had ever envisioned when thinking of the always regal and overconfident Dark Lord of the Sith.

"There's no leaving the area and no ship can land or take-off for as long as it is in place... No wonder that there's no traffic."

Luke was horrified by that revelation. "But... but what about the people and their needs forsupplies?... They can't just condemn them to starvation because of... of a potential escapee! It's inhuman."

He had heard of such devices, of course, but never of them used against innocent civilians.

* * *

Now that he knew what he was dealing with, Anakin resumed his scan of the area and located the control device of the shield. He breathed with more ease after he read the details of the timer. "It is only set to last a month or so. It is a long-enough delay to discourage anyone outside of it from waiting for its turning off, yet short enough that with a little rationing, the citizens will hold out just fine." He then spotted familiar containers and turned to reassure his still upset son. "They left them supplies for more than a month, Son. They will be fine."

"But we won't be... What now?"

Ani rose to his knees and began packing their gear. "We search for another ship. There are smugglers and small operations on this planetoid. We only need find one and borrow one of their ships.

"That could take a while, though, and the rations are dwindling rapidly, even with you leaving them to me. How will we survive once we're out of those?"

"I'll hunt for your meals... And hope that we find sooner than later what we're looking for."

"Oh," Luke retorted sheepishly. "Right. I guess I'm so used to being the prey now that I forgot the basic rule of survival: find food wherever you can."

"Yes, and nature _is_ what feeds the galaxy, even though we rarely recognize its original form anymore once it appears in our plates."

"Yeah… but I'm not eating vornsk. They don't look appetizing in any way and with their tail being poisonous, there's no telling if they are even edible."

"Pity," Anakin commented and turned his teasing gaze toward his son. "They would be easy to find and kill with us acting as bait."

"Fa-ther!" the boy strongly protested with a grimace, purposefully separating each syllable to enhance the seriousness of his rebuttal. "Ewwww."

The older Skywalker smirked as much at his son's discomfiture as he did at the irony of their situation.

Undoubtedly, the Force was having a blast at their expanse; they just couldn't Feel its chortling in amusement because of their current location in the vast galaxy.

* * *

Less than half-an-hour later, they were once again disappearing in the undergrowth of the forest, searching anew for a means to escape the planet that, while cutting them off from the rest of the galaxy, also brought them closer as a family.

Little did they suspect how important this time of bonding would prove once they left the Forceless planetoid.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? What did you think of their particular topics for this part? Or Luke's reaction to eating Vornsk ;P Anything else to share with me?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) They are also a great incentive to post more and faster than I might ;P (hint hint ? ;P) Given my busy schedule, it will probably not be soon, but with the proper encouragements… miracles can happen and give me more time to write faster ;P


	8. Chapter 8

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2012-13ish

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor before crashing on Myrkr. There, He became gravelly injured and Vader found him just as the Emperor turned against his traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid, but before he could be fit with a prosthetic leg, they were forced to once again hide into the forest. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bond over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations are pleasant.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's last post! Your comments really mean a lot to me and I'm really happy that you enjoyed this last part as much as I had fun writing it!

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details. (and yes, I do answer all the signed comments, so don't hesitate to leave a comment :) I don't bite, I promise!)

In regards to the anonymous reviews, thanks for your comment, Star Wars girl! I'm really happy that you liked Luke's reaction to eating vornsk. I'm also glad that I was a good find for you when you began reading it.

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D The more I know people read and enjoy this fic, the more I want to post more ASAP and end up _making_ time write more of it (sacrificing other activities or lesser responsibilities in the process ;P)

And now, on with the fun! More father/son bonding on the way!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Disney. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Part 8: To be or not to be... sneaky?**

The next day, they covered what they estimated to be satisfying ground. Using the stars and the position of the sun to orient themselves and estimate the distance covered, the two experienced pilots tried to encourage themselves with the thought that in a few days at most, they should run into some kind of base.

They had to... or they would once again have to change their plans.

It was on those happy thoughts that the already cloud-blanketed sky decided to add another challenge to their trek: another rain shower.

Or at least, they thought it would only be a short precipitation. However, after thirty minutes of unceasing rain, they understood that they were in for the long haul. Again.

Thus, that rainy evening found them huddling upright under a small outcropping of rock, standing close to one another under its limited shelter while Luke held himself upright with the help of his father's sturdy body. While their closeness helped him keep his balance, it also provided warmth to his shivering form as he stood in the crook of his father's arm where real and warm flesh remained and even peaked through the current tears in his armor's sides.

Whereas the rain had drenched them both before they had finally found this limited refuge, Luke was the only one affected by his wet clothes.

Ani was still pretty much isolated from the elements and the parts of him that were exposed to them were not bothered by a little wetness.

It was rather different for the youth who was stuck in damp and clingy cold clothes.

Worse, they couldn't lit a fire to warm him up, and their survival blanket was now wet from the same rain that had drenched him.

If he couldn't warm himself soon, he would start sneezing and might just catch a cold.

Now that would just be _perfect_, he snorted inwardly.

For long moments, the two Jedi silently stood side by side, patiently waiting for the end of the heavy rain.

Then, some more time later, Luke grew bored of looking at the falling droplets and raised his head a little; he found himself studying yet again his father's intriguing features. This time, he noticed that his pasty-white skin was already recovering a more natural if still very pale tone, and his head and jaw were now covered with brownish hairgrowth. The new growths were still very short, but there was no denying the truth: Vader's helmet had kept him from even regrowing hair in any way... as long as he wore it all the time anyway.

Palpatine had clearly taken several measures to convince his servant that he couldn't be healed completely.

The young Jedi was still lost in thoughts when Anakin noticed his studying him intently and gazed down at him.

Blue eyes met identical blue eyes.

"What's on your mind, Son?"

"Do you think that you will heal completely once the suit is off?" He inquired wistfully.

His father took a moment to ponder the serious question. "The damage is very extensive, Son. It extends much further than hair follicles and skin cells."

"Yet, he obviously used the suit to keep you in that unrecovered state."

"Sadly," Anakin agreed with a grimace.

Luke leaned harder into his father's side to hug him more tightly. "It must have been so horrible, being locked in that dreadful mask right after the surgery."

"That's an understatement," Ani nodded slowly. "I... I had to fight not only the physical agony of my fresh burns, but I also had to overcome my reflexive claustrophobia. It drove me to near madness until Palpatine locked me up for as long as I hadn't regained control of myself. At the time, I had killed too many subordinates to his liking... And I had to learn control, he said. It was my harshest lesson yet as well as the moment that I truly embraced the Dark Side. It was that or remaining insane from too many unwelcome emotions...

Luke hugged him closer still, offering him belated compassion. "I wish so much that I had been there to save you from him."

"I had been told that you had died with your mother... Your combined losses exacerbated my self-control problem."

"And if you had known that I was still, in fact, alive? Would that have broken you free of the Dark Side?" The youth queried hopefully.

Ani turned glum and averted his eyes.

"I am ashamed to admit that I would have simply turned the galaxy upside down to recover you, and you would have ended up being yet another pawn for Sidious to play with. Obi-Wan was wise to hide you from me. Back then, and until only recently, I was obnibulated by my longing for greater power... Thus, If I had known about my surviving child, I would have looked for him while remaining absolutely loyal to Palpatine for fear of losing my new and hard-earned status..."

Luke remained silent.

"I was nothing but a young fool, Son. Obi-Wan and Yoda were wise to keep me away from you and to not tell you the truth for a long while so that you didn't seek me out any sooner.

"It's more like they never told me..., " the boy grumbled in resentment. "They could have told me when I fought you in the cave... I assure you that I was scared enough at that moment that I wouldn't have gone after you like they feared I would."

"And what about Bespin?" His father inquired, looking down at him. "Would you still have come?"

* * *

His son's answer was instantaneous. "They were my friends."

Anakin expressed his concern about his naive selflessness by frowning down at him.

"However," Luke amended, "I wouldn't have gone alone, and I wouldn't have sought a confrontation with you... I think." He considered his answer for a moment. "Your cautionary tale would have cooled my head and righteous overconfidence, I'm sure of it."

Anakin's eyes softened. "And then, I would have gone on hunting for you with the intention to turn you to the Dark Side... And our present circumstances would be quite different. In the end, it is a blessing in disguise that everything happened like it did, even with the heartaches and trials that ensued those horrible confrontations.

"And what could be worse than what actually occurred?"

"Even if you had managed to escape Bespin in any other rescue scenario, I would still have caught you when I did. However, if I hadn't duelled you and seen you attempt suicide instead of joining me, you wouldn't have escaped the Executor because I wouldn't have sought to hide your capture from Sidious. You would have remained under my constant surveillance, with no chance to escape in any way."

"And you are certain that my defiance of your new offers wouldn't have the same effect than Bespin did?" Luke pondered out loud.

Anakin slowly shook his head. "It was your willingness to sacrifice yourself that began my transformation, Son." He briefly averted his gaze, as if in shame. "Had Bespin proceeded otherwise, you wouldn't have been allowed to take that kind of action and shake me to my very core... I'm sorry." He apologized, tears glistening in his eyes. " I am nothing but a cruel monster..."

"You _were_ a monster, Father," Luke stated adamantly. "It didn't happen like you just described, and you are not that man anymore."

"Are you certain of that, Luke? Because I am not," he admitted honestly.

"Father," his son retorted in mild rebuttal.

"No," Anakin refuted meaningfully. "I can't deny the truth, Son. I have lived for so long with no moral or concern other than my own selfish desires that I can't seem to remember how to live otherwise." Luke meant to object but his father silenced him with a raised index. "You saw it, the other day by the river, remember?"

"And it hasn't happened again since then," his forgiving boy reminded him. "Trust in yourself, Father, not because you're an all powerful Force user, but because you're a good and caring man who has learnt from his mistakes."

"But have I? Really?" He asked him, locking his doubtful blue eyes on his son's confident ones. "If you hadn't been there to see that I was sliding back toward my bad self, I would have fallen again."

"But I _was_ there, and I always will be, Father," Luke assured him. "You are not alone anymore and, most importantly, you are not heartless. You only need to reconnect with your true self, and that is the boy who saved Mother from remaining stranded on Tatooine. You are the courageous Jedi who captured her heart not because of his powers but because of his kindness and selflessness, and because his heart was in the right place in regards to the rest of the galaxy."

Anakin remained silent, unable to refute his son's wisdom, yet uncertain of his ability to embrace again that more naive and lighthearted side of himself. He had done so many horrible things...

"Did you ever see rain while on Tatooine?" His little Jedi asked out of the blue.

"Huh?" he frowned, gazing back down at him.

"Rain. It is rare, but still plausible. Did you ever see any while on Tatooine?"

"No. You?" He answered, accepting and even welcoming the sudden change of topic.

"It was only a drizzle, but it still felt miraculous and the crops benefitted a lot from it."

Ani smiled gently as memories of his own childhood came back to him. "I only ever saw sandstorms. My only relief was that I normally was inside when they hit." He lost himself in the bitter sweet memories. "I could always tell when one was approaching."

As he talked, he remembered his time as Watto's slave, and how his mother would be inside as well while they waited out the storm. That was always a time that they spent fixing this or that, but it was also one of the rare times when they worked side by side without encurring their master's wrath.

Then, when the storm lasted into the night, they would find a corner to sleep and, with his mother's arms safely wrapped around him, they would drift off to sleep while listening to the howling wind outside.

"They were some of the best moments of my time there," he finally summarized.

"Really?" Luke asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "Personally, I didn't like them, unless they kept me from going to school, of course. When they locked me in school, though, they were intolerable, mostly because I was stuck with my bullies, I think."

It was the boy's turn to become introspective.

"Even though Biggs was there to ward them off, I still knew what they thought of me and it was mean. Then, when the storms were were over, they always left behind twice as many vaporator cleaning jobs as usual. I was stuck doing those in record time so that we didn't lose our crops."

Ani took in his son's displeased expression and smiled despite himself as he tried to envision his young boy like he had been at that time.

"How old were you when you began fixing things at the farm?" He inquired after a moment.

"Seven, I think. At first, it was only in the garage or with uncle Owen, but when I grew old enough to pilot our speeder, we began working separately."

A horrible thought suddenly occurred to the ex-Sith lord. "Despite the sandpeople?!" Surely-

"Uncle Owen always made sure that I remained inside our security perimeter," his son quickly reassured him, "and while I was out there, the fence was always raised."

Ani breathed more easily. "Ah, so Owen also remembered my mother's untimely and gruesome death and didn't want a repeat of it."

"I only knew that he kept the furthest vaporators for himself until I reached maturity and the end of basic school. By then, he couldn't afford to keep me inside the fence if he wanted to fix all the vapes for harvest season. But," the boy shrugged slightly, "after what you told me, I suppose that he tried to keep me safe for as long as possible. He sure did so in regards to you and the Empire in general."

"Didn't he ever replace the old clunkers?" Ani scowled next.

"Not that I am aware of."

He snorted in derision. "No wonder that they always needed fixing. The vapes that I saw the one time I was there were already getting old then, and that was a few decades before you began to work on them. Did you ever lack in anything vital?" He queried in renewed concern.

"Like water or food?" He answered and Anakin nodded silently. "No," was the reassuring answer. "We had to ration most of the time, but I suspect that Aunt Beru often sacrificed part of her rations so that I grew healthy and strong."

"What makes you say that?"

His son gently shrugged his shoulder yet again. "Just some hindsight into the situation, I guess. She was a selfless woman and never seemed to eat much."

Ani nodded in agreement."That would not surprise me, either. She was a very kind soul, even with strangers and bad tempered foster relatives," he said with a self-depracating smirk.

"And she married uncle Owen," Luke grinned cheekily.

"That, too." He chuckled before he fell serious once again. "Padme spent a lot more time with the Lars than I did. She told me how welcomed she was by them while they waited for me. She even hit it off really well with Beru."

Luke seemed to ponder the matter a moment. "Do you think that she was the one who chose to send me to them?"

The question caught him unprepared and shameful memories of his last meeting with his beloved rocked his composure. "I... I believe that if she had lived, she wouldn't have let you go, Luke. I think that the heartrending loss of both you and I is what truly killed her in the end. However, if she mentionned the Lars as a possible safe heaven, then she might as well have chosen and trusted them to watch over you. Obi-Wan had only heard of them through my passing mention of them in my spare retelling of our detour to save my mother. He wouldn't have known them without Padme's input about her brief visit at the farm."

"What about her family? Do you think that there was any particular reason why they weren't chosen to shelter me?"

"They were probably not considered because of their residency on Naboo. Furthermore, a new son in the family, and especially an adopted one, would have attracted my attention since only Padme was pregnant at the time. As for Tatooine... After my mother's death, I had sworn never to set foot on it and Obi-Wan knew it. Thus, he probably expected that you would fall completely off any imperial radar while on Tatooine, and that is exactly what happened. Whoever made the final decision to send you there was enlightened."

Luke pouted slightly. "I suppose, but they could still have minded a little bit about the lack of diversity and stimulation that would become the norm in my life. I'm certain that I would have also remained hidden from prying eyes in any other backwater place."

"Your life wouldn't necessarily have been better elsewhere, Son. Sometimes, abundance can be just as troublesome as poverty. On Tatooine, you were at least safe from civil wars, imperial abusive exploitation or even the firmer imperial control that rules the Rim and Core worlds.

"Yeah, because of its remote location, Tatooine had nothing to offer to anyone except for the outlaws, whom aren't dangerous at all," he finished sardonically.

"Speaking of which," Anakin frowned in renewed concern, "did Jabba ever had any influence in your daily life?"

His son reassured him once again when he shook his head in negative.

"Except for when we went to Mos Eisley, we were far away from him. Sandpeople were much more our daily concern than any distant gangster."

"I'm glad," he sighed in relief. "The last thing you needed was the threat of slavery dangling over your head. You had enough to contend with in the form of the sand rats."

Luke could only agree with him.

The pitter-patter of the rain filled a comfortable silence while they both looked out at the lessening rain.

"By the way," Luke spoke up first, "speaking of Jabba, do you have a plan to recover Han?"

Anakin slowly shook his head and continued to stare at the lessening rain. "Not yet, but I know what we will _not_ do," he answered and looked down at his son to make his point clear, "and that is any form of direct confrontation."

As he had expected, his son meant to argue but he silenced his objections with a raised index. "Jabba's personal security is the one thing that the slime doesn't haggle on. His hired guards are professionals and completely reliable. As a result, anything that might threaten the Hutt will face a maximum level of resistance and defense. His audience chamber is particularly well protected and defended."

Luke's self-confidence deflated under his father's confidence in Jabba's guards. "So what do you have on mind?"

"The sneaky approach," Anakin smiled almost cockily at his son.

* * *

"Sneaky? Is that a normal approach for Jedi?" Luke frowned, his mind going back to Yoda's lessons about honesty of mind and spirit to remain true to the Light.

"Well, several mind-altering techniques do aim at hiding our actions or even our very presence, and I would think that the fact that they kept our own family secret by lying about me would answer that question. However, in terms of truly undetectable intrusion, it was very usual for me. It didn't please the Council but it worked and so, they never tried to stop me from using that kind of strategy."

"Really? Somehow, I can't imagine you slinking down corridors, careful to avoid notice."

"That's because you only see me as I am now. Envision me as an eleven-year-old, restless padawan apprentice and the portrait you get is quite different from my present one.

Luke smiled once he formed the mental image of the boy described by his father. "In a way, you remind me of myself at that age, when I used to try and creep out of my room to watch the night sky longer."

"And you clearly inherited my adventurous genes," Ani smirked back. "Back then, most of my lurking in shadows served only to leave the temple when I wasn't supposed to." He chuckled at some memory of his childhood. "Obi-Wan had a fit when he found out about my nocturnal races down in the deadly underground of Coruscant."

* * *

"No doubt," Luke commented yet seem unconvinced by his arguments, or perhaps he was thinking of that deceiving comment and how quickly he had begun to trust his former enemy.

Ani decided to cut off new doubts before they could take root and worsen their burgeoning father/son relationship. "Besides, even if it were a rule of the Order to be up front and honest unless the situation required another approach, I was never one to follow the rules."

"Some rules are there for our safety, though," the wise youth retorted knowingly.

"Don't I know that now..." He replied, gazing down in humility, adcknowledging of his own shortcomings. "But in the present case," he went on, locking his gaze back on the boy, "we must ignore most rules if we want to survive this upcoming expedition. Besides, we are dealing with outlaws who ignore any and all rules except their own. Why should we restrain ourselves when their own tactics could be turned against them?"

His son was still uncomfortable. "I suppose... But how much sneakiness do you have in mind?"

"I don't know yet. First, we need to figure out Jabba's weakest point."

"Well," his son shrugged, "he can't move around easily."

"Which is why he surrounds himself with top-of-the-line security."

The youth frowned at him. "You seem to know a lot about him."

Ani shook his head even as he grimaced in disgust. "Only enough to keep him in check as one of Black Sun's asset. How about you?"

Luke also shook his head. "Not that much either. Anchorhead was far from his operations and so, except for the occasional raiders or challenge-bearing swoop gangs, we had very little contact with his minions. I also knew to stay out of sight when they came. Aunt Beru had told me about their kidnapping children and even older people. Then, from Han's trouble, I later learnt that crossing the Hutt was ill-advised and that his reach for revenge went far beyond Tatooine."

"Hmmm, swoop gangs..., " the ex-Sith pondered while the wheels in his head began turning with the first pieces of a plan finally falling into place. "He does hire quite a few of them to do his local dirty work..."

"And we're both capable pilots," Luke agreed, understanding his line of thoughts.

"I could easily infiltrate one of them and from there, wait for the proper moment to abscond with Solo."

"Alone?" Luke stopped in shock. "Father..!"

"It would be simple, elegant, and actually fun," Anakin, former pod racer, smirked to himself in self-confidence and growing anticipation.

However, his smirk died on his lips upon meeting his son disapproving glare. "And what if you are found out?" the youth challenged him. "If the market value for a half-trained Jedi is enormous, what could the ex-lord Vader be worth, huh?"

He was stunned mute by his son's clever and earnest rebuttal.

"I'm sure that Palpatine has already transmitted any likeness that you might adopt so that anyone of your height and build will be investigated further. It is not safe for you either," the youth stated with finality.

Only silence and the falling rain answered him.

"Besides," Luke went on, "you are forgetting that you are not alone anymore. My friends will also be able to take part to the rescue, hence we can consider a more elaborate scenario with allies positioned inside the palace."

It was his turn to disagree with the suggested plan. "I doubt that the Princess knows how to dance like his dancers do."

Luke reared his head at that, apparently offended on his friend's behalf. "Of course, she doesn't. Besides, Han wouldn't want her to expose herself like that to the slobbering kingpin; he always turned down her offer to negotiate on his behalf with Jabba because he didn't want her to risk becoming the Hutt's next slave girl. I'm not going to let her take that risk either."

"So who does that leave us?" Ani queried, waving his left hand in a helpless fashion. "The Wookiee? He is hardly inconspicuous enough for that kind of infiltration."

"And Lando, and Dash, and a few others if necessary," his son added to the list.

"Calrissian is still with you? Even after his betrayal on Bespin?" He had to admit that he hadn't expected the traitorous baron administrator to survive his escapade with the rebs.

His son slowly nodded in the affirmative. "Last time I checked, he and Chewie were still searching for signs of Boba Fett's trail."

"I'm surprised that the Princess forgave him so readily," he conceded out loud.

Luke pursed his lips at the mention of his best friend. "Actually, Chewie was the greatest threat to his survival, but after Lando helped them escape, he regained enough of his trust to be included in our search for Han. He's been proving himself a valuable ally since then."

"What about the others you mentionned earlier? Are they all Rebels from your group?"

"Dash is a mercenary for hire, a scoundrel and a hotshot pilot, just like Han." He smirked teasingly at him "You'll like him."

It was Ani's turn to grimace. "You sure know how to pick your friends... Not," he concluded meaningfully.

"Dash is trustworthy," Luke retorted confidently. "He guided the Falcon down on Gall when we finally found Fett, and he's been sticking around, acting as a bodyguard of sort for me, at Leia's behest."

Ani snorted at that. "He did a marvellous job so far."

Luke frowned resentfully at his harsh judgment of his new friend. "We got separated by the bounty hunters. We were going to regroup once clear of followers." When Anakin remained unconvinced, Luke set his jaw in a familiar expression of defiance - one that he hadn't adopted in days with his father. "It's not like I am helpless, you know?"

"Agreed, but you are not invulnerable either," Ani returned, matter-of-fact.

"The same goes for you," was the automatic retort.

"Hgggnn," Ani grunted, unintelligible and defeated once again by his ever caring little Jedi. "So, back to Jabba, you seem to have some ideas of your own. Let's hear them."

"Well," Luke shifted against him in slight uncertainty, the sudden change of composure unmistakable, "they are just the first ideas that came to my mind, and I'm not-"

"Luke," his father interrupted. "Stop that. I'm aware that I must seem like the great war hero that has all the right answers, but that's only because I'm too overconfident and charismatic for my own good. In truth, I am far from perfect, as you well know, and I am still struggling with my own imperfections."

The child remained silent, aware that he had been caught red handed in yet another display of self-doubt.

"Furthermore, my being with you doesn't, in any way, make you less able, less intelligent or less resourceful than you were before now, and you have those in spades, as you've proven time and again since you joined the rebellion."

The child blushed and gazed downward, but Ani brought his left hand to his chin and gently made him look back up at him. "Luke, you are an excellent commander and a great warrior in your own right. You shouldn't second guess yourself in any way."

"Well, I guess so," the boy finally commented, "but you have so much more experience in... Everything," he finished with a dejected sigh.

"Yet I never rescued a perfect stranger from a heavily guarded detention block of a certain enemy battle station, and without any form of proper training to boot."

"Ugh!" Luke groaned hard in disagreement and annoyance, "that was a _fluke_ and a huge stroke of luck... Or the Force, I guess. Anyway, I didn't know what I was doing and I certainly didn't think of a way for getting out. I was too brash for my own good. If Leia hadn't been there-"

"So?" Anakin shrugged even as his eyes sought his son's. "You were clever enough to adapt in the midst of a fight, and that, even if you didn't know where you were going. And then, there were all the escapes and rescues that you pulled off as a squadron commander and rebel soldier. Whether you did those from the seat of your pants or not, your record still speak for itself, Son."

"So does yours and you destroyed a droid control ship when you were _nine_!" The boy shot back, impressed yet again by his father's first exploit as a hero. "You've also spent most of your life as a military leader; Obi-Wan was right when he said that you were a shrewd tactician."

The more he listened to his son's argument about why his ideas always seemed better than the child's, the more Anakin noticed how the boy's eyes slightly widened, as if in reverent awe, and something suddenly occurred to him. "Luke?" He inquired, setting his hand back under the child's unusually bearded chin to stop him from averting his gaze. "Do I intimidate you with my past deeds?"

When the boy pressed his lips together and pulled out of his touch to look down at the ground, the older man understood that he had hit right in the million.

Gently, he cupped the child's right cheek and made the boy look back up at him. "Son, I may be taller, physically more imposing and more experienced than you, but you are far too strong and incredible all by yourself to allow your mind to peg you down like that. If anything, _I_ am the one who still can't believe that such a fine Jedi and terrific young man could come from the monster that I was becoming at the time of your conception. All I see, when I look at you, is your mother's strenghts through and through, and most certainly not any of my horrible flaws."

"But there is so much that I don't know about the Force, about the Jedi, and -" the child began.

Ani rested his left gloved index over his lips in an affectionnate gesture. "I seem to remember a stubborn and resourceful young Jedi who, despite his incomplete training and lack of experience in almost everything, was confident enough to defy, resist and even duel the bane of his Jedi brethrens. What happened to him? I know that he landed on this planet with us because I had to contend with him and prevent him from worsening his grave injuries."

The boy quirked his lips in displeasure at his sound argument but remained silent.

"Even though we are together now, as Father and Son, that doesn't mean that you have regressed to childhood or even teen age and all its phases of insecurities. You are still the grown-up man who has become the number one enemy of the Sith Empire. You didn't reach that status by second-guessing yourself and hesitating all the time, did you?"

"No..." The youth sighed, reluctant to concede the point yet aware that his father was right. "But, see, the fact that you have to reason with me like this is just one more proof that I'm still nothing but a foolish, naive boy."

"Ah, and who knocked so much sense in this bantha head of mine that I didn't revert back to the Dark Side? If I remember correctly, it was a young Jedi far wiser than his years."

Anakin smiled in comfort at his son while the boy chewed on the inside of his left cheek for as long as he pondered his words.

The ex-Sith was not used to being the reasonable one, but as he felt the tension ease from his son's shoulders, he silently thanked the Force that when his child needed him, he was able to help him like that as well.

"So basically," Luke spoke up, at last, "you're saying that we simply have different strenghts and faults and that we can learn from each other without feeling inadequate because of our flaws. Is that it?"

"See?" Ani smiled and hugged him closer, "wiser than your years, and you summarized in one sentence what I have been trying to say in so many words and arguments. You have nothing to envy me for, little one. Nothing at all."

"Little one, huh? Now that doesn't help my self-esteem much, Dad," Luke quipped back.

"Well,"Ani shrugged and held him tightly against his side, "you are smaller than me, and you will always be my child, no matter how powerful and self-reliant you become."

He then reached up and playfully mussed up his son's damp hair like he would have had if Luke had grown with him and deserved that kind of affectionnate teasing gesture - a gesture that always upset teenager boys who didn't want to be treated like children anymore.

"Daaaad," Luke whined and Anakin chuckled out loud at his useless attempt to draw away from his reach. "Stop it!"

He gave him one last pat on the head before he released his hold on the dishevelled and glaring young Jedi. "Just making my point, Son," Ani shrugged, failing to apologize in any way. "Now, what are your ideas in regards to your friend's rescue?"

Luke took a moment to arrange his hair with his free right hand before he sighed in _defeat_ and focused back on their previous topic.

"Right, well, Jabba and his gang receive a lot of various deliveries to cater to their needs. So... I was thinking, if we had someone inside..."

Anakin listened very intently as the boy shared his idea and, once again, he felt fatherly pride blossom in his chest at the unsuspected intelligence and resourcefulness that was packed in the inassuming figure of his grown up son.

His little Jedi.

Padme would be so proud of the youth.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? What did you think of their particular topics for this part? of their growing relationship ;P What do you think is on Luke's mind in regards to infiltrating Jabba's? Care to take a guess before the answer is provided, in time ;P Anything else to share with me?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts all year long :) They are also a great incentive to post more and faster than I might ;P (hint hint ? ;P) Given my busy schedule, it will probably not be soon, but with the proper encouragements… miracles can happen and give me more time to write faster ;P

p.s.: I'm also working on what I hope to be two Holiday gifts for the two runner ups of this summer's survey, namely The Balance of the Force and Deceit. Just thought some of you might like to know that more than the traditional gifts under the tree await them between the beginning and the end of the Holidays :) :) (I thought I'd be able to work on more running-up stories, but time really is too short for that... not if I want to keep Unexpected and Blessing on their current tentative schedule. Meh, (shrugs) a girl got to work, feed herself and sleep before all else ;P

p.s. 2: if you'd like other fics to be the next ones to get an update, you know what to do ;P If you have already reviewed them, PM me :)


	9. Chapter 9

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2012-13ish

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor before crashing on Myrkr. There, He became gravelly injured and Vader found him just as the Emperor turned against his traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid, but before he could be fit with a prosthetic leg, they were forced to once again hide into the forest. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bond over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations are pleasant. They also begin to plan Han's rescue from Jabba the Hutt.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! First of all, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's latest post! Your comments really mean a lot to me and I'm really happy that you enjoyed this last part as much as I had fun writing it!

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details. (and yes, I do answer all the signed comments, so don't hesitate to leave a comment :) I don't bite, I promise!)

In regards to the anonymous reviews, thanks for your comment, Nilihil. Will they get off Myrkr? Won't they :P We'll know soon enough ;P

Starwarsgirl, thanks for your comment and continued interest! In regards to Luke's plan, I prefer not to rewrite what has already been done and explored, so no, I won't stick to the RJ rescue scenario. I hope you'll like what I have in mind, as well as how Anakin will handle himself in this different context. As for their leaving, I'm not going to say more except that, eventually, they will confront the rest of the galaxy including the Emperor ;P

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D The more I know people read and enjoy this fic, the more I want to post more ASAP and end up actually _making_ time write more of it (sacrificing other activities or lesser responsibilities in the process (hint hint) ;P)

And now, on with the fun! More father/son bonding on the way! And a change of pace for this holiday season!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Part 9: Duke and Koon **

The next day, a ship flew overhead, only to land nearby; the Skywalkers understood that, at last, they had found what they had been looking for.

While Anakin reluctantly wrapped his head back in swaths of fabric, the two of them revised the fake story that they had agreed on a few nights ago.

Anakin then put his captured clothes back on while Luke once again wore nothing but his medical whites. The two seasoned warriors then carefully dirtied and tore both sets of clothes until they didn't resemble their original forms while they actually supported their story that they had been planet side for at least a month - thus at least two weeks longer than the day of their actual arrival.

Luke then wrapped the survival blanket around his shoulders to keep warm before his disguised father resumed carrying him on his back.

* * *

As it turned out, the two fugitives had fallen into their pre-agreed roles just in time because they quickly tripped an advanced warning system system. By the time that they emerged from the denser forest, the residents of the nearby base already knew how many and how dangerous the intruders were.

Hence, the runaways had not even left the thicker jungle that they were already greeted by the business ends of at least eight hand-held blasters of various models.

"Stop right there," snapped uselessly a gruff-looking man who was in his mid-thirties.

While Anakin's hand reflexively fell to the butt of his blaster, a sign of wariness that was not acted from his part, Luke spoke for the two of them. "Thank the gods, we finally found someone! Please," he begged, putting every drop of desperation that he could conjure up into both his verbal and non-verbal language. "Help us! We crashed in this cursed jungle several weeks ago and we've been praying for help any god that cared to listen for help in leaving this varmint-infested rock. We'll pay whatever you will charge us, but please, don't turn us around!"

While he had been beseeching the newcomers for their assistance, he had also made a show of making his companion pull his hand away from his weapon. Although his father resisted a little his silent advice, one _Dad_ whispered in his covered ear did the trick and Ani followed his son's guidance in showing signs of trustworthiness toward their possible rescuers.

"Who are you?" Gruff man asked, glaring suspiciously at the unlikely duo.

"I'm Duke Darklighter and this is my friend, Koon from Kel Dor."

Who couldn't breathe or see in oxygen-rich environment, which explained Ani's head disguise, breathing mask and black lenses without raising suspicions.

At least, both fugitives hoped so.

"Where are you from? What brought you here?"

"We were en route to Kamino to have our missing limbs fixed when our hyperdrive died on us, short-circuiting all our other propulsion and communication systems in the process. We were lucky to survive the crash. Please," he tried again. "Don't send us back into that cursed jungle. We only want to rejoin civilization. It's been so long since we saw something other than cursed trees and vicious predators."

Gruff man exchanged a glance with another man, who tilted his head to the right. The former then stepped away from the group and contacted their base, or so Luke assumed.

He and Anakin were too far from the other men to hear anything, but they could easily guess what the call was about.

"Okay, take them in," Gruff man finally grunted at the rest of his crew. "After they surrender their weapons, of course."

_Koon_ grunted something in Hutteese before he reluctantly removed the makeshift bandoleer and single weapon from himself and handed it to the waiting scowling smuggler.

Two other smugglers checked their bags but, to their relief and just like Anakin had predicted, they didn't dare pat down the tall and mechanical-armed alien. As a result, their lightsabers, which he carried stuck tight in his belt in his back and under Luke's stomach, went completely unnoticed or even suspected.

"All right, Karrde is waiting for our impromptu visitors."

As they followed their still jumpy-looking guides toward what he supposed was the base of the group, Luke tried to strike up a new conversation with the apparent team leader. "So what are you guys? Traders? Smugglers? Or-"

"Karrde will answer that question, if he decides to trust you."

Luke nodded, as if subdued, and studied the rest of the group.

It quickly became obvious to him that the large number of outlaws was not due to the presence of intruders, or even their _large_ number of one-and-a-half - his missing legs and Jedi powers being Luke's missing half. Instead, the extra pairs of eyes and guns were trained on their surroundings.

Luke understood that the others also felt very threatened when they ventured in the forest. In fact, they seemed completely livid with dread, their eyes literally glued to the surrounding vegetation.

Apparently, those residents of the planet needed all the extra help they could get if they wanted to survive that short a trip from their base. Luke made a note to quickly come up with a plausible explanation as to how he and his father had survived for so long with only one able defendor to fend off all dangers.

* * *

Soon enough, they reached the edge of the group's compound and the extra security quickly scattered, going back to their previous assignments while leaving the visitors under the supervision of their leader and only three other men. These last three had trained their weapons on the strangers as soon as the group had reached the safety of the base.

Luke sincerely hoped that their distrust was a mere precaution that they took with any newcomer and that it was not caused by something else.

Otherwise, even if his father still had their lightsabers, they would still be easy prey to that many wary and physically strong men. Worse, the two Jedi had not recovered the Force yet, not even now that they were not under the jungle canopy anymore.

He had a bad feeling about this... He only lacked the telltale tickle that accompanied Force-induced advanced warning to confirm that they truly were in danger.

He could only hope that he was just being paranoid and that they were not, in fact, walking into an imperial trap.

* * *

Talon Karrde, Anakin mused while he mentaly reviewed what little intel he had ever seen on the elusive smuggler and his well-hidden group. First and foremost, the man was not new to the business, having been part of Jorj Car'das crew since young Talon had left his unknown homeplanet as a teen. Then, there was the fact that Karrde's group, which was formed out of his boss' old organization that he had quickly and quietly taken over after Car'das disappearance, was most formidable in the outlaw world. Indeed, next to Jabba's, it was reported as being the most powerful smuggling and information-brokering organization of the fringe.

That didn't tell him much about what to expect from the man.

Their group was approaching what appeared to be the central building when a mid-thirties, relaxed-looking man with shoulder-lenght black hair and a stylish mustach and beard stepped toward them.

His air of serenity and shrewd leadership betrayed his identity the moment that Ani laid eyes on him.

"Greetings, I'm Talon Karrde," the newcomer said smoothly, offering his hand in welcome.

While Ani kept his mechanical hands were they were, helping Luke down from his back, the child quickly straightened up and shook hands firmly.

"Duke," Luke introduced himself, "and this is Koon. A thousand thanks for taking us in, Mr. Karrde."

"Aves mentionned that you were looking for transport. How about we discuss my fees for your sojourn and transit? And then you can tell me what happened to both of you to leave you in that kind of state."

Straight to the point, Ani smirked in delight. He had been involved in politics for so long that any direct approach was refreshing and welcome.

In fact, it was such a relief for him that he was not even worried by the inference to their obviously missing limbs.

"Of course," Luke nodded, agreeable and courteous.

It was a side of his son that he had never seen before either as Vader, because they had always been butting heads one way or another, or as Anakin, because Luke had not been so formal with him.

Indeed, he silently nodded to himself, Padme would be really proud of her son who had also inherited her sense of tact and diplomacy. It was so much more useful than his own commanding and untractable approach.

Helping the boy along while Luke hopped forward on his good leg, they both followed the tall, lanky man inside the main building.

The walk down a darkened corridor made Ani uneasy, but they quickly transitionned into a large, well-lit room and his concerns faded away. Then, he took in the rest of their new surroundings and started at the sight of the enormous tree that grew in the middle of the large room, going from the ground to the ceiling and straight through the roof.

While he recovered his composure and filed away the uniqueness of the decor for background information, Luke openly gaped in awe at the impressive and most abnormal sight of the indoor tree.

"Wow!"The youth breathed in genuine shock. "Did you build around it? Or did it grow here on its own?"

Ever the cool fish, Karrde merely shrugged while he indicated a nearby group of comfortable couches and armchairs. "It was already like that when we found the ruins."

"Oh," the youth nodded and regained some of his composure.

Once Luke could support himself with the nearby furniture, Ani withdrew his support before it could become excessive. He sat beside where his son would sit in one of the two-seater leather couches.

"I must say," Karrde began politely while he sat in the armchair that faced them, "I can't figure how two limb-missing travellers could end up on this planet, let alone survive its forest and lethal wild life for weeks."

"If someone had told me that story even a month ago, I would also have taken it for a tall tale, believe me," Luke replied, pretending to be both exhausted and annoyed by their horrible stroke of bad luck. "Still, there we are. The gods don't like us, that's for sure."

Anakin silently agreed for good measure.

Karrde glanced from one stranger to another, and then focused on the youth. "So what happened exactly?"

"Don't you want to discuss your fee first?" His son frowned in mock-confusion.

"There is time for that later... If I decide to give you transportation. So?" Karrde asked, raising an eyebrow in subtle dubiousness. "Who are you? Where are you from? And what happened exactly."

Luke nodded in comprehension even as he leant back in the comfortable couch. Sitting in real furniture was a relief even to Ani's mostly unfeeling body, so he could only imagine how wonderful it must feel for his son after days of trekking on his metal-covered back and sleeping on the ground.

"We're from Alzoc III, the northern mines, to be precise."

It was the richest yet most dangerous mines that they knew of.

"Three weeks ago, I got trapped in a rock slide and they had to cut my leg to get me out. It's a rather standard rescue procedure, as Koon can testify, having lost one arm after another in similar circumstances. At the time, Koon and I had already been saving and making money on the side to leave this place and finally have his arms replaced by cloned limbs. We were going to leave that hell and never return and we wanted to leave the trauma of his missing limbs behind us as well."

"And Koon is your..?" Karrde prompted, still not convinced.

"He raised me from childhood, so I guess you could say that he is my adoptive father. He took me under his wing after my parents were killed during a raid. It was a promise he had made to my dad, his best friend, just before..."

While Ani smirked to himself at the retelling of a part of their story that he had based on how Obi-Wan ended up training him, Luke eyes actually grew misty.

He wondered what the boy could be thinking about to manage that good an act.

"I owe him so much that saving for clone limbs instead of regular prosthetics was the least I could do for him. Then, my accident happened and we decided that we would both have one clone replacement limb, and that we were never going back to the mines. We had made arrangements with the Kamino cloners and were en route there when our bucket of bolts of a ship - the only one that we couls afford on our budget- decided to give up on us."

That, Ani smiled onward, grateful for his disguise that hid his improper expressions, was straight from Luke's numerous bad experiences with Solo's Falcon. How the antique YT-1300 could still fly without falling apart was beyond him.

As an innate mechanical genius, he couldn't wait to be aboard her and discover all her secrets, at least if Solo's Wookiee allowed him anywhere near her central systems, let alone Solo himself once they had rescued the smuggler.

Perhaps a little Force influence would do the trick- no, he caught himself and vehemently rebuked himself. This was not how decent people acted. They asked for permission and they did accept no for an answer.

They didn't force their way upon others when they were not satisfied by their answers. Period.

Force, he grimaced inwardly, he had soooo much to unlearn from his years of upholding tyranny and uncompromising dominion. Did Luke truly understand just how screwed up and damaged his father really was?

He doubted it.

He remained lost in his thoughts while his son concluded their made-up tale.

* * *

Once Luke was finished spinning his lies, Karrde leaned back in his seat and stroke his stylish mustache and goatee while lost in thought. Luke refrained from biting his lips in concern or to fidget anymore than his role suggested.

When the silence lasted a little longer than comfortable, though, he decided that he would play the card of the impatient youngster as well. "So? Can you get us there? How much will it be?"

Since cloned limbs were a new luxury that cost in the top five figures, neither Luke nor his father expected Karrde to be cheap with clearly rich passengers.

Therefore, they were pleasantly surprised when the smuggler asked for a meager twenty-five thousand credits.

"The problem is not your story, whether its true or not, but your timing. There is an imperial blockade over our heads right now and I don't know how long it will last."

"An imperial blockade?" Luke gaped in pretended shock, "What for?"

His father had warned him of that most-likely possibility, thus he wasn't completely discouraged by that confirmation, only annoyed. It was just _yet_ another hurdle to overcome before they truly were home free. As if they needed any extra ones already, he whined inwardly.

"Fugitives, apparently," Karrde answered him smoothly. "The imps searched the base, scanned every one that could fit the profile of their escapees, and moved on."

"I wonder who they are looking for," the youth mused out loud.

"Actually," Karrde smirked and leaned forward once again, "they were looking for two people that rather fit both of your physical profiles."

Even as Luke's blood froze in his veins at the realization that they had long since been found out, he saw, from the corner of his eye, his father's left hand drop to his bare hip.

He suddenly had a very bad feeling about all this.

* * *

TBC

Well? How was that? Eh eh eh, evil cliffie, I know :) But there ought to be some from time to time, right? ;) So, who saw Karrde coming in? ;P Easy guess, I know, but I couldn't resist using him. Now, will he or won't he betray them to the imperials? The bets are open ;P How did you like their valiant but doomed attempt to masquerade as down-on-their-luck miners while mixing in various truths about both of their lives? It was kind of hard, for either them of me, to come up with a really valid reason that could explain all their missing limbs aside from lightsaber duels. And now, what do you think will happen to them ;P And how did you like Ani's reflexions while studying Karrde's reaction to their tall tale? Do you agree with him about his being very screwed up? ;) Anything else to share with me?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts and this is the season for giving :) They are also a great incentive to post more and faster than I might ;P (hint hint ? ;P) Given my busy schedule, it will probably not be soon, but with the proper encouragements… miracles can happen and give me more time to write faster ;P And it 'is' also the season for miracles, isn't it ;P

p.s. : While I have tried to stick to the known story of Karrde, this is an AU, and so, I decided to put him on Myrkr earlier than he might have been, and I will dare take another liberty or two with his background information in the next part ;P Hope you'll forgive me for that straying from canon :)


	10. Chapter 10

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2013

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor before crashing on Myrkr. There, He became gravelly injured and Vader found him just as the Emperor turned against his traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid, but before he could be fit with a prosthetic leg, they were forced to once again hide into the forest. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bond over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations are pleasant. Weeks after their first run-in, they finally stumbled onto a smuggler's base where they hoped to find transport to Kamino.

* * *

Good evening everyone! As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's latest post! Your comments really mean a lot to me and I'm really happy that you enjoyed this last part as much as I had fun writing it!

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details. (and yes, I do answer all the signed comments, so don't hesitate to leave a comment :) I don't bite, I promise!)

In regards to the anonymous reviews, thanks for your comment, Star Wars Girl and guest. Will they have a fight on their hands? Won't they :P How will they make it past that blockade ;P Will Karrde sell them out? Stay tuned for some of those answers :)

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D The more I know that people read and enjoy this fic, the more I want to post more ASAP and end up actually _making_ time write more of it (sacrificing other activities or lesser responsibilities in the process (hint hint) ;P)

And now, on with the fun! Karrde's decision is waiting to be revealed :) As is Anakin's and Luke's handling of the situation afterward! Have fun!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Part 10: Decisions and consequences**

For a long moment, no one said anything anymore.

"We're-" Luke tried.

"Lord Vader, I presume?" Karrde cut in, smirking knowingly at the taller man.

Anakin simply stared through his disguise.

"And that would make you Luke Skywalker, the rebel Jedi hero. Interesting." Karrde commented as he stroke his mustache, falling deep in thought.

Luke tried once again to salvage the situation. "Come on," he snorted in mock-derision. "If Koon really were Darth Vader, you'd already be choking to death and-"

"Not while on Myrkr, I'm afraid," Karrde slowly shook his head in negative. "Besides, the search party informed us of your powerless status so that we wouldn't be afraid of you if we found you."

Both fugitives exchanged a look. They were done for.

"I'm afraid that your defection is already public knowledge, my Lord," Karrde shrugged, surprisingly unconcerned for someone who was meeting the infamous Sith Lord in a more than threatening context. Still keeping his cool, the smuggler produced a datapad with the details of the bounty set on Ani's living head.

The ex-Sith silently took it from his hand, and swore inwardly the moment that he saw its content. Indeed, Just like his son had foreseen, he was not only in the top dockets, but his possible aliases, including his real name, as well as his likely appearances were all detailed with the bounty.

"How do you know who-"

"You are missing a leg, Skywalker. They found it and ran a DNA scan on it. If I may say so, that was not very wise of you to leave it behind. You should have destroyed it."

Wonderful, Anakin seethed. Now Palpatine knew _'everything'_ for sure.

"I'm surprised that it survived the fire that swept through the area..." Luke grimaced and looked up at his father once again.

Ani nodded at him before he turned back toward the smuggler and glared hard at the self-satisfied outlaw. Despite his mask, his change of attitude was felt by the two other men; Luke winced while Karrde focused his whole attention on the bigger threat of the two fugitives. "What do you intend to do with this information?" Anakin finally inquired in basic.

While his son kept throwing him nervous glances, Ani kept his left hand on his concealed weapon.

"I haven't decided yet," Karrde answered easily and leaned back in his seat in a non-threatening manner.

Belatedly, Ani noticed that they were still alone with the smuggler. It could only mean that Karrde was truly open to options.

"Then provide us with what we need and I will pay you twice the amount of both of our bounties combined."

"Hmmm," the man pursed his lips. "I doubt that even you have that kind of money, my Lord. However, money is not the only thing that is useful in my field of work."

"We can work for our passage," the young Jedi quickly offered.

"That, you might, but I had another form of payment in mind," the smug man replied suavely.

"What do you want?" Anakin cut in, matter-of-fact. The unwary smuggler was quickly running out of what little patience Luke had begun to nurture in his ex-Sith of a father. Either Karrde loved to live dangerously, or else he didn't realize just how unheard of it was for someone to bait even a former Sith like he was doing.

"Answers to some of my questions," the smuggler answered without detour. "In my experience, that kind of privileged information is as valuable as money. Besides, I owe one favor to Jedi Skywalker."

"Me?" the youth frowned, pointing at his chest in confusion while he turned his head toward the man who was holding their fate in his hands. "Have we ever met before-"

"We never did, but your father, Anakin Skywalker, saved my family from slavery during the apex of the Clone wars."

While Luke gaped in disbelief at the irony of the situation, Anakin refrained from chuckling out loud.

If Karrde knew that he was, in fact, bargaining with his savior... and threading on dangerous territory.

"So," the outlaw prompted them, "how did the Empire's second-in-command end up defecting with the last remaining Jedi, his sworn rebel enemy?"

Poodoo! Anakin swore. He had meant to keep their secret for themselves, but their host was obviously very clever and had gone straight for the hardest questions, as well as those of a very personal nature.

Anakin had been expecting questions regarding imperial intelligence, or even about the Emperor's best kept secrets, but not that...

Not the sordid story of his failure as a husband and father.

He sighed in resignation even as he let go of his hidden weapon. "Luke is my son. _'I'_ used to be Anakin Skywalker."

While Karrde didn't show any sign of the shock that he must have been feeling, Luke nudged his father hard with his leg even as he stared up at him in rebuke.

He didn't agree with his use of the past tense, Ani understood, and then confirmed a moment later when the child mouthed 'used to?' at him.

Anakin shrugged slightly, his attention focused on their single witness.

"I always thought, too, that the hero-with-no-fear couldn't lose any battle to anyone, not even to Darth Vader... But.., weren't Jedi supposed to be celibate?"

"They were... I couldn't."

If Karrde expected to hear more very private details from him, he would be greatly disappointed. He would not spill his and Padme's private secrets to anyone but his son.

Karrde seemed to understand that and simply nodded in comprehension. "So how did Father and Son end up on both sides of the war?" The outlaw asked instead in avid curiosity.

"We had both been told that the other had died, and then the surviving Jedi wisely protected my son from whom I had become until Luke was old enough to learn the truth."

From a certain point of view, Anakin grimaced to himself as he remembered Luke's account of his first and edited introduction to the story of the past.

"Father only found out about me _'after'_ I became the hero of Yavin, and I... only recently learnt the truth about him," his son concluded quickly; despite their progress as a family since they had become stranded on Myrkr, the child was still understandably uncomfortable with even any inference to Bespin.

Bespin, and Anakin's last crime ever against his flesh and blood.

"And now?" The astute smuggler asked next. "Is Anakin joining his son? Or is the last Jedi Knight still Lord Vader's prisoner?"

"We-" Luke began.

"I would think the answer obvious by now."

"In appearances, perhaps," the outlaw shrugged easily yet again, "but they can be deceiving, as you must know."

"For now," Anakin commented without answering the man's last statement, "the only thing that matters to us both is to leave here and escape the imperial blockade."

"After that, the priority is to rid Father of his life suit while re-establishing contact with allies," Luke added confidently while he assuaged any doubt as to their current status of allies. "Can you take us to Kamino?"

Both Jedi remained silent while Karrde pondered their request.

"Any other spaceport would do as well if the distance is an issue," Ani added when the silence lasted a little longer than he was comfortable with.

"Forgive me," Karrde finally answered, "I... Neither the distance nor providing you with transport is an issue. As I said before," he commented, gazing at the concealed man this time, "I have a debt with Anakin Skywalker. However, I have no idea how to ensure your safe passage."

The fugitives exchanged a perplexed gaze.

Karrde sighed, clearly at a loss of ideas. "Apparently, they are confident that you survived your crash landing and that they will catch you on your way off the planet; they simply spared no effort to create a perfect net with no hole to slip through."

"How?" Ani inquired, instantly falling back on his imperial knowledge and long-acquired experience as the commander-in-chief of the fleet.

"For one thing, they do not authorize unscheduled take-offs. When they searched the premises for you, they also asked for our scheduled movements for the next three months, and then gave each of us one of these."

While Luke frowned at the chip that their unexpected and welcomed ally produced from his breast pocket, Anakin swore under his breath.

Personal tracking beacons.

He then answered Luke's unspoken question. "Each one of them is matched to a hard-wired number which is then matched with their owner's ID, which is taken upon delivery. Those two information can then be validated when a chip's carrier's wish to make it past a blockade."

"And the ID is established by a DNA test, I bet," Luke concluded, crestfallen.

"Which means that you can't borrow or steal one of those without being found out at the check point, exactly," Karrde explained further.

His son considered for a moment before he turned his head back toward his father. "I thought that this kind of tech was too expensive and top secret to be used on a large scale like a planet. Since when has it become more affordable or less valuable for intelligence?"

"It hasn't," the ex-Sith Lord answered.

"Someone wants you both at _'any'_ cost."

Anakin agreed with that foregone conclusion yet something kept nagging at him about the efficiency of the means that were deployed to catch them on their way off.

Although Palpatine would definitely want to find and capture them, it was not his style to use that kind of highly useful and unique intelligence tech with civilians, even less on a planetary scale. With that operation, however, that tech was as good as useless as its specs and several copies of the units would find their way on the black market the moment anyone was allowed through the blockade.

Since he knew how much Palpatine liked his unsuspected surveillance toys that he could then use to keep track of allies and enemies without their ever being aware of their electronic tail, someone else was behind that equally brilliant and wasteful strategy. Unless revenge meant so much to his ex-master that he was ready to sacrifice anything for it, but once again, that wasn't Sidious' style.

So who could it be?

"We'll have to use scramblers so that they can't see us on their scanners," Luke then commented in the silence.

"That would be unwise," Ani slowly shook his head. "If they scan the ship for occupants and ID chips before they board us, the hole created by the scramblers will be just as incriminating as a scan of our forms without ID signals attached to them."

"Then, there's also the fact that they harvested several ysalamiri while they were here. You can't count on your special abilities to save you."

Indeed, Anakin mused further, it was someone other than Palpatine behind that blockade.

Someone who had thought of everything in every minute detail, and then some.

Granted, Sidious was a master schemer, a deceiver and a vengeful tyrant, but it was also completely unlike him to overuse his resources, let alone pointlessly expose his best kept secrets; with the involvement of ysalamiri in the plan, the personal tracking beacons became completely superfluous. After all, a mere paralyzing ion blast and ysalamiri-blanketed ships would suffice to trap them, yet the ultra secret tech was still brought into play and on a planetary scale to boot.

He concluded that whoever was overseeing this blockade didn't know the limits of a Jedi's power, only that their preys had them.

Now who..?

"Then how can we make it past the blockade?" His son queried, turning his concerned blue eyes back toward him.

"I haven't figured it out yet," the smuggler admitted, crossing his arms over his chest. "We can't call for help either because all our communications are monitored."

Luke nervously sat up at that. "Then someone might have also recognized us and is selling us out even as we speak!"

"No," Karrde answered confidently. "It is my policy that I am the only one with the codes to open communication channels with others off-planet. The ships are also locked out until take-off. That keeps my people honest while those who would try to betray me are quickly found out." He shrugged at Luke's expression of awe. "I can't afford to lose my advantage to unloyal employees. It's a harsh galaxy out there."

"Indeed," Ani acquiesced quietly. "Tell me, do you ferry more than merchandise? Like local animals or other non sentient living forms?"

"Yes..." Talon nodded slowly while Luke scowled in lack of comprehension.

Ani simply reassured his son with a gentle pat on his nearby artificial hand. "I think I found a hole in the imperials' net."

Both younger men listened to him, with different reactions to his complex plan.

Time would be short, Karrde then told him when he informed them that he had a scheduled take-off in three days time.

That left the Jedi very little time to create the missing piece that would save their lives, but for a mechanical wizard like him, and with the help of his equally skilled son, Ani was confident that they could meet that deadline.

Besides, they had to or else they would either be stuck on Myrkr for an extra three weeks or worse, captured and delivered to the Emperor and his new right hand.

Anakin swore on his wife's and his mother's graves that he would not let the latter happen.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? Eh eh eh, what is Ani planning now ;P Any thoughts? Did anyone see Karrde's decision, and his motive, coming? ;P How did you like those? And how did you like the irony of Karrde not knowing that he was talking with his savior ;P I just couldn't resist that one :) And who could resist asking him the hard questions right off the bat? Not Karrde, that's for sure :) As for the means to prevent their escape, what did you think of them? Cool? Tough? Not realistic? Who do you think is behind that plan? And now, what do you think will happen to them ;P Will they or won't they make it past the blockade? The bets are open till next post! Anything else to share with me?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious gifts at any time of the year or the week :) They are also a great incentive to post more and faster than I might otherwise ;P (hint hint ? ;P) Given my busy schedule, it will probably not be soon, but with the proper encouragements… miracles can happen and give me more time to write faster ;P


	11. Chapter 11

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2013

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor before crashing on Myrkr. There, he became gravelly injured and Vader found him just as the Emperor turned against his confirmed traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid, but before he could be fit with a prosthetic leg, they were forced to once again hide into the forest. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bonded over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations were pleasant. Then, weeks after their first run-in, they finally found transport to Kamino.

* * *

Good afternoon everyone! As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's latest post! Your comments really mean a lot to me and I'm really happy that you enjoyed this last part as much as I had fun writing it!

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details. (and yes, I do answer all the signed comments, so don't hesitate to leave a comment :) I don't bite, I promise!)

In regards to the anonymous reviews, thanks for your comments; the comment about Kamino was particularly useful since it pushed me to find an answer to the situation evoked in the scenario :) I hope you'll like what you will read in a few chappies ;)

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D The more I know that people read and enjoy this fic, the more I want to post more ASAP and end up actually _making_ time write more of it (sacrificing other activities or lesser responsibilities in the process (hint hint) ;P)

And now, on with the fun! Time for Ani to reveal his plan. Warning! Be prepared to see them in a situation you would never see them in! I just thought about the real-life stories of how far people went to escape either extermination camps or slavery and figured that Luke and Ani had to make some sacrifices as well if they really wanted to slip past Palpatine's waiting claws. Have fun!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Part 11: Slipping through the net**

Three days later, it was too late to change their mind about Ani's infinitely elegant but oh so complex plan.

While the two fugitive Jedi focused on playing their demeaning roles as best as they could, they could only trust their technological disguises to keep them from showing up on any of the enemy's scans.

So far, the light of the room they were in had not blinked in forewarning, which meant that the preliminary scans had not revealed their ploy yet.

As far as the imperials were concerned, there were ten vornsk creatures held in cages in the portside cargo room of the Wild Karrde. The truth, though, was that there were _eight_ real and rather agitated vornsks and two Jedi hiding even their human anatomy from detection.

Thus, Luke and his father were currently standing down on four limbs, pretending to be equally agitated quadrupeds; Anakin's engineering genius had devised a concealing device that not only visually hid them behind perfect holograms but that also gave off the species' biometric readings.

The sounds were also provided as needed, the mimicking device activated by their subtle growling which it then amplified and carried off in a perfect imitation of their neighbours' sounds.

The only part that Ani hadn't been able to disguise had been Luke's missing leg so that they had had to find a replacement before they did anything else in regards to the plan.

Fortunately, Karrde had had a basic leg prosthesis on base. While Ani had worked on his emitters, Luke had worked on the unbending prosthesis so that it would allow him to stay on four legs and mimic the vornsks for as long as needed.

As a result of all their combined efforts, past and present, the only element that could now betray them was if they did not act like real predators as far as their arms, legs and head movements went, which was why they were both playing their part as best as they could, ignoring their bruised honor and dignity that would only hamper them in their current endeavor. Being locked with a vornsk for three days had allowed them to study it in depth and even practice some of its trickier behaviors when it was getting even more nervous when they walked closer to it.

The reaction was even worse when Anakin was involved than when Luke was. They figured that it was because of his ominous appearance and agreed that if the vornsks reacted like that to the troopers, they would follow suit.

In fact, they would base their whole act on the reactions of the other vornsks.

And now, they were taunting the rancor.

'So far, so good,' Luke thought but remained silent in case the ship's conversations could be tracked.

He and his father had yet to recover the Force, but that didn't really surprise him as the Wild Karrde had not even left Myrkr's gravity well.

The blockade was certainly very efficient.

It showed just how _much_ Xizor wanted his father's head, preferably on a platter. The ex-Sith had not been surprised to find out that the dark prince had become the Empire's second-in-command, but he had been surprised to find out that the snake hadn't been made commander of the fleet.

The journalist had stated that that honor had been temporarily given to someone else until Vader's permanent replacement was ready to take over.

Both he and Ani had understood just _who_ that expected replacement was. Even though Palpatine didn't hold Luke in his claws yet, he was acting not only as if he did, but also as if he had already broken and turned him into his willing servant.

Luke couldn't help but shudder at the unpleasant prospect of ever meeting the Sith master face to face. As for his father, he had understood that Luke's already confirmed presence on the planet was the real reason behind the quality of the net that had been set around the planetoid.

He had then reassured his son that they would slip right through its one hole and that, after their stop over on Kamino to get fixed, they would see to Han's rescue.

Anakin was just that confident about his technology - which Luke had never even thought could exist, let alone be created out of scavenged parts of various kinds of transmitters including audio and visual ones, emergency homing beacons and comlinks.

The ex-farmboy had also never suspected how easy it could be to reprogram human holocovers into animals'.

Well, he amended himself, it hadn't been easy per se, but his father had still worked that miracle in the seventy hours that they had had to prepare their escape. Ani had also done it almost all by himself, requiring little help from Luke except for dismantling the tech that had been provided by Karrde before the smuggler had hidden them in a room of his personal quarters.

If Luke had ever doubted his father's words about his making and programming Threepio, his doubts were all gone and vaporised.

His father truly was a technological wizard! No wonder that he had built a droid from scrap even before he had left Tatooine as a child.

And Threepio, to boot! Of all the droids that his father could have built, it had to be the prissy protocol droid that belonged to Leia Organa and that, along with Artoo, had gotten Luke involved in the galaxy-wide conflict that would someday reunite him with his regretful and misguided father.

And then there was Artoo-Deetoo. What an amazing little tike of a droid, he smiled to himself. The little guy had also belonged to Anakin and, just like he was now a faithful and resourceful stalwart astromech for the son, Artoo had been Anakin's astromech that could do so much more than copilot fighters. Artoo was also a droid that used to belong to his mother. Luke dimly wondered if the droids had known the truth all along and hadn't told him either.

However, just like his father had commented, he suspected that they had been wiped before entering service with the Alderaanian royal family, who had also been very close friends to his estranged mother. Still, according to the tech reports that he had read, Artoo hadn't had a complete memory wipe in at least two decades, which was why the techs kept insisting that he allowed them to maintain him properly. However, Luke was adamant to preserve his droid's unique personality and forbade them from doing that. Besides, he shrugged inwardly as he always did while arguing with the techs, it increased the efficiency of Artoo's communication with his X-wing so why risk losing that kind of advantage simply to respect a technical protocol?..

He couldn't see a good reason to take that chance, and even less so now that it might be possible that his little droid actually held records and perhaps more from his parents and especially his mother, or so his father now led him to believe. Indeed, it was Anakin who had figured out that, based on the droids' story, they had been with Padme when Luke had been parted from her, and so, he believed that it might be possible that Artoo held in his databank a last message meant for her son... but to be delivered only at a certain moment in his life.

The young Jedi didn't dare hope too hard, but such an unexpected message from her would mean almost as much as having his father back, not only from his physical absence, but from the Dark Side and the Empire as well.

'Thank you so much,' he thought fervently to the Force - and then stiffened at the sound of the electric lock of the cargo bay while it was being activated.

He and Anakin resumed acting as much as they could like vornsks.

The troopers stepped inside and dismissed the animals, scanning instead for hidden human life forms.

Naturally - thankfully - they found nothing.

Luke was mock-scratching nervously at the deck, like the other animals were, when the troopers received the order to continue their search. The door locked back behind them - and Luke and Anakin turned their disguised heads toward one another in unspoken relief.

Yet, they knew better than to reveal their true selves yet and so, waited for the ship to be granted passage, and then for it to even move away from the Forceless planet before they abandoned their act.

Thus, they were still playing their parts, though of much calmer and sedate quadrupeds - when the Force literally rammed back into both of their senses. Both of them gasped and Anakin even sat back on his heels in shock.

They were both so rattled by the unexpected suddenness of their recovery that they barely remembered to shield their presences from long-range detection. Still, they both knew better than to risk detection by the Sith Master who would then alert his troops to stop the currently leaving ship, and so they both brought their shields crashing into place before it were too late.

Ever the overprotective father, Anakin shielded both of them even though his son had done a fair job shielding himself from detection.

Luke felt slightly annoyed by his father's lack of trust in his ability to protect himself, but he was also too overwhelmed by the rushed recovery of his sixth sense to bother about it for now.

Indeed, he was just too stunned to do anything else but work his way through the moment and keep his shield in place. In a way, he felt as if he was suddenly recovering his sight after going blind for the past weeks. It was so blinding that the light felt like it was searing his senses back to life. He had just never realized how much the Force increased his regular senses and general experience of all the living forms that surrounded him.

Once he was past his shock and was reassured, through the Force, that they were finally out of danger, he sought the nearby presence of his father, whom he had been looking forward to contact this way... and finally _feel_ how far along his redemption his father truly was.

At first, the blaze of light that was his father almost blinded him once again with its intensity and he winced while he reflexively pulled back.

* * *

Anakin, for his part, felt as if he had just been reborn. Not merely freed from the constricting armor that he still partly wore, or returning to who he used to be, but like he was completely and literally born to a whole new life that would never be as dramatic as his past life had been.

He already knew that he definitely was a different man than the one that had gone chasing after his escaping son, but was he really a whole new man?

He only knew for certain that he was not a Dark Lord of the Sith anymore.

However, despite his doubts about how much more different he was from who he had once been, the Force literally sang through his body, mind and soul, enfolding him in her warm embrace of Light and peace unlike anything that he had 'ever' felt before; no experience of his Jedi life could even compare with how he was currently experiencing his reconnection with the energy field.

With his parent, if the fable was true...

Still, she, too, was apparently overjoyed to welcome him back in her calmer and selfless side and he only embraced her with more strength, happy to be back as well.

Although the Force was still the Force no matter how one used her, he could now testify that no amount of gained power was worth the tumultuous chaos, the freezing loneliness and the self-denial that were the daily companions of a dark side user. Then, of course, there was the addictive grip of the dark side's powers on his soul, forcing him to sink deeper and deeper into its morass of torturous consequences.

Although these were forced to the back and even out of the mind of truly evil users, through their greed and selfishness, the feelings still remained and, at the slightest weakening of the darkness within, they surged forth with a vengeance. Anakin had foolishly fought those back on several occasions during his Sith years, and, although at the time, their resulting agony had pushed him even further away from the Light, the fact remained that, up until a few weeks ago, he had not been living anymore; he had only been existing.

It was then that he understood why he felt completely reborn and that his wise son had seen right through him even without the Force; he was once again Anakin Skywalker, but in a more mature and tempered version than he had been when he had last seen his beloved.

At least, he hoped that he was and that he was not, in fact, deluding himself yet again. Still, he was certainly more experienced than he had been as a youth, and he had learnt what true selflessness was - which was not a travesty of his so-called selflessness that had, in fact, been selfishness and arrogance to the utmost. Furthermore, he was utterly determined to fix as many of his horrible mistakes as he could.

Hopefully, his new reason to live _'and'_ his son's presence to guide him further on the right path would keep him from ever falling back onto his bad habits of old.

He then felt his son's tentative mental touch through the Force and, careful to keep his reflexive shields down, eagerly welcomed him and allowed him free access to his mind.

At first, his son's flinching away made him fear that he had, in fact, been deluding himself with all his flowery vows of redemption, but when the child brought his hand to his forehead in physical reaction, Ani belatedly understood that the poor child was overwhelmed by the intensity of their contact and he focused on dampening his own presence to more comfortable sensing levels.

The strategy worked and Luke reached forth once again; this time, they both connected and, despite the shields and controls that they kept in place for their mutual safety, they still felt everything there was to know and sense from the other.

Both he and his son were relieved when Luke confirmed that, other than a few corners of guilt and past sufferings and their deeply-ingraved results on his soul, his destructive dark side was gone from his consciousness.

Of course, that didn't mean that he was immune from any of it happening again, but that was the trick with being humans: they were fallible.

Fortunately, they could also be strong to resist and modify their behaviors and outlooks on life so that, although not perfect, they could still remain good hearted and faithful to their real selves.

Silently agreeing with him, his by-then acclimated son mentally hugged him in ecstasy. *Welcome back, Father!"

*It's good to be back, too," he returned while he basked in his son warm presence that felt so much like his mother's used to. Even better, for the first time ever, there weren't any negative emotion or aggression to interrupt or ruin their reunion as Jedi and family.

Finally sensing his son without causing him either pain, fear, anger or disgust was, if it was possible, even more wonderful than being welcomed back into the Light.

Now, he was truly reborn in every way that mattered the most to him, which was as a loving father and a Jedi ally to his son.

They were still holding each other through the Force when the Wild Karrde finally made the transition into hyperspace.

Next stop, Kamino!

Or was it?..

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? Was Ani's plan what you expected? I hope that I surprised you a little at least part of it :)

Now who do you think was behind that blockade plan? Some suggested that it was Xizor, but he is still on Coruscant and not put in charge of the fleet. So who could it be ;P Remember: that person knows about the Force powers of Vader, but not their extent. Who is it? ;P

And now, what do you think will happen to them ;P Will they make it to Kamino? Or will they be stopped on the way in? Upon their arrival? Or is there anything else to Ani's plan?

Anything other thought to share with me? Please?

Have a great week-end everyone, and remember, reviews are very precious presents at any time of the year or the week :) Favorites and alerts are great, but reviews speak so much more! Please, pretty please? And pointing out the shortcomings or upcoming plot problems really help me fix them so that, hopefully, this fic is even better :) thanks to your help!


	12. Chapter 12

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2013

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor before crashing on Myrkr. There, he became gravelly injured and Vader found him just as the Emperor turned against his confirmed traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid for part of his injuries. However, they were forced to once again hide into the forest. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bonded over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations were pleasant. Then, weeks after their first run-in, they finally found transport off planet.

* * *

Happy Easter week-end everyone! As always, thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story's latest post! Your comments really mean a lot to me and I'm really happy that you once again enjoyed this last part as much as I had fun writing it! I'm so thrilled that you enjoyed Ani's particular plan so much :) Believe me when I say that I worked my imagination hard to make it come up with something different from anything I had read or written before, yet also plausible and interesting :) Those long sessions of twisted plotlining paid off and I'm hyped :)

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details. (and yes, I do answer all the signed comments, so don't hesitate to leave a comment :) I don't bite, I promise!)

In regards to the anonymous reviews, thanks for your comments; in regards to the comment about Mara being in charge of the blockade, the answer is that it's not her. While I went for comic book lore, I went a little more obscure than usual. So, if it's not Thrawn, Mara or Xizor, who is it? The answer will be given by the end of this post :) Will you guess it right before then?

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D The more I know that people read and enjoy this fic, the more I want to post more ASAP and end up actually _making_ time to write more of it (sacrificing other activities or lesser responsibilities in the process (hint hint) ;P)

And now, enough shameless begging and on with the fun! Time for Ani to reveal the rest of his plan. Oh, and there is more father/son bonding coming up this time. Have fun!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Part 12: To go to Kamino or not to go? That is the question.**

Once they were clear of danger, in hyperspace, as well as so far away from the imperial blockade that not even their Interdictor class counterparts could pull the smuggler's ship out of hyperspace, Karrde finally went into the cargo hold to both check on his passengers and confirm to them that they were on their way to Kamino.

Of course, it was not Karrde's official destination, but he figured that his chosen parting point was close enough to Malastare that a slight detour from his reported route, not to mention a short delay from his official time table, shouldn't draw suspicion.

While Luke, who had removed his permanently bent prostethic before sitting on a crate, was quite relieved to hear those good news, Anakin, who was also sitting on the crate beside him, didn't share his thoughts.

"I don't think that you should go anywhere near the Kamino system or anywhere that would make you stray from your route, Talon," he stated ominously. "They will undoubtedly check on you upon your arrival at Malastare and, from experience, I am certain that they will not accept any justifications for anything that could hint at a cooperation between you and us."

"You mean?" his son inquired, frowning in concern.

"Did you know all along?" the smuggler queried instead.

"No. I only meditated on our best course of action now and I saw that trouble was awaiting if you didn't make your official rendezvous."

Even though his son instantly caught his lie through the Force, the child was experienced enough in undercover operations to understand that while they could trust Karrde with their lives, they would not endanger their ally anymore than necessary and reveal _'their'_ true plan to him.

Anakin barely sent Luke a mental nod of approval and gratitude for his trust in him before he refocused his attention on their ally.

"I see," the ever wary Talon Karrde answered, non-committal. "What do you suggest, then? If they do monitor Malastare like you expect them to, and that you stay aboard, they will catch you there… or at least, you will not be safe there either."

"How were you planning to take us down to Kamino's surface?"

"I have prepared a shuttle for mid-range travel so that we could drop you off in the Bothawui system and you'd make your way to Kamino on your own."

"You were?" Luke frowned harder. Although a seasoned warrior himself, Ani realized that his son truly had much to learn in regards to the art of deceit.

Both older men exchanged a knowing glance before they resumed their conversation.

"Then you can simply drop us off near the Corellian system and we will not delay you in any way, or put you in any further danger."

"And what if they check the cargo? They will notice the two missing vornsks," his son pointed out, recovering from his lapse of composure; despite his occasional erring, his little Jedi _'was'_ experienced in his own ways, shrewd, and wise, he smiled to himself.

Despite some appearances and his own desires to protect the boy from everything, his son was _'not'_ a child anymore.

Karrde, meanwhile, shrugged easily in lack of concern. "Two of them turned out to be sick and had to be killed and jettisoned. It happens all the time with any form of live cargo."

"Then that only leaves the change of distance that will be covered by the shuttle you're lending us. Will it be a problem?" Luke inquired grimly.

"Except for the need to refuel somewhere around midway to your destination, it'll be up for the extended trip." He then smirked at the youth. "It will not act up and short circuit both your engines and your communication system like your _'former'_ ship did."

While Anakin chuckled at the barb, Luke grimaced. "I sold us out right from the start, didn't I?"

Karrde laughed some more while he patted the young hero on the shoulder. "Let's just say that you should stick to your lightsaber and your ace flying until you learn better how to pull a con. You were fortunate that you stumbled on my base and not on any other settlement on the planet."

"The Force was with us, even there," Ani answered while he wrapped his arm around the shoulders of his red-as-a-beet son, offering him silent comfort. "Besides, the fact that you were expecting us didn't help any, did it?" he asked, gazing back at the smuggler.

"No, it didn't. Otherwise…"

"And if we had known that we were expected, we wouldn't have gone for the direct approach either," Anakin pointed out as well, gazing down at his son this time.

"Well… all is well that ends well, then," Luke sighed is resignation.

"And Force forbids that we ever have to find out how any of the alternatives would have ended," Ani added meaningfully.

"I've certainly had enough jungle treks for a long while," Luke answered back, recovering some of his aplomb after being reminded of the unknown parameters of the situation that they had faced.

"And I do not intend to be stranded ever again."

A silence followed that exchange and all three men shared a thought of gratitude that no other challenge had risen to stop them from freeing the two Jedi from the Forceless planet that had held them _'prisoner'_ for almost a month.

"Well, then, do you need anything else for now? We should reach the Corellian system in sixteen hours. I'll arrange for an impromptu reason to stop by one of my clients there."

"We'll be fine, thank you. We have enough ration bars and water to last us till then."

"I'm sorry that you have to remain here but - "

"It wouldn't be safe exposing ourselves after all the trouble that we went through to do the very opposite," Luke nodded in reassurance. "Thank you again, Mr Karrde. We truly owe you ours lives."

"Then my debt with your father is finally repaid," Karrde bowed his head slightly, tipping it toward the older Skywalker.

"And I owe you one of my own now," the younger one smiled. "I mean it. If I can ever help you, let me know."

"You mean if I can get a hold of you, of course," Karrde winked briefly.

"Do not worry about that," Anakin cut in. "Soon enough, the Jedi will not have to hide anymore, nor will the Alliance. The Empire's days are numbered."

"As long as the smuggling business keeps flourishing despite the change of government, I wish you success, Master Skywalker. Now, you'll excuse me but I must return to my crew."

He then turned around and left without another word, leaving Anakin to gape silently at the title that the man had given him while his son bid Karrde farewell for now.

Luke had leaned back on the heels of his hands and had even made a comment or two that went unheard by Anakin before his son finally grew aware of his stupor and poked him in the ribs.

"Dad, what's wrong?" he asked in concern.

Anakin could only turn slowly toward him, still gaping in shock. "_'Master'_ Skywalker?" he finally managed to breathe.

"Aren't you?" his son shrugged nonchalantly. "After all, you trained a padawan and you are very strong in the Force and-"

"No - I mean, yes, I trained Ahsoka and she called me Master, but I never was a _'master'_ per se, and I am not-"

"You are not what, Dad?" his son objected, straightening up before he crossed his arms in front of him in an unspoken sign of stubborn disagreement.

"I'm not a Jedi Master yet, Luke. I never was, and I'm certainly not one when I'm still teetering on the edge of darkness."

"Is that how you feel?" his son scowled, his composure softening a little despite his facial expression. "That you're still teetering and on the edge of falling again?"

"You know that I am," Anakin stated unequivocally.

"No, Anakin," the youth objected and locked his blue gaze with his. "I actually do not know that. However, what I do know is that whenever I reach out for your presence, your Light almost blinds me. You also feel like anyone but Vader, and I know how cold _'he'_ felt."

"But my strong emotions are still very much a part of me, Luke, and I-"

"So are mine, yet would you say that I am also teetering on the edge?"

"Never in a lifetime. You are the Light incarnated."

"No," the wiser-than-his-age boy shook his head slowly while he turned his body a little further toward him. "I am the _'son'_ of the Light incarnated. Everything that I am in the Force, you gave it to me, Father. More importantly, though, you only shared your Light with me; you did not pass it on to me, losing yours in the process, and now your inner Light shines once again strong within your heart."

Anakin wanted to refute his son's words, but in his heart of hearts, he knew his son's words to be true; it was true not only because the child was completely honest with him, but because the Force was urging him to realize that his soul was no longer buried and denied existence. Instead, it was once again whole, yearning to do good with the incredible gifts that he had received from his Force parent, and unlike the tatters that Vader had locked away, two decades ago, it was strong, sturdy, and adamant that it would not fall in the same traps twice, and especially not those of his negative feelings.

In short, even though it was doubtful that Luke was aware of it, he had just transmitted to him a crystal clear message from the Force itself, which was to trust in his innate goodness, the one that his mother, Shmi, had taught him and given him in spades before he had left her to become a Jedi.

Anakin had always had that goodness in him but, until recently, he had forgotten about it.

While heavy tears of relief and happiness rolled down his mangled cheeks, he nodded in comprehension and drew his savior into his arms. "Thank you, Son. I'd be so lost without you, my little Force angel."

"And I'm never going away, Dad," the youth reassured him, his voice half-muffled by his father's thickly woven clothes. *Welcome back, Jedi Master."

While a part of Anakin bristled anew at the undeserved title, another part of him just accepted it as yet another message from his creator and simply sighed in resignation. *Thank you, young Jedi."

They remained like that for a while, comforting each other both physically and mentally - until their two presences began to merge together, forming a bond that was stronger than any that Anakin had ever experienced. With but a warm feeling of reassurance, he calmed his son's uneasiness about the natural process, and his son equally reassured him about his wanting to be this close to him, or even this soon after their official reunion. Then, they were two different individuals yet aware of each other with but a thought, and the bond between father and son was sealed forever.

Once the shock of that new experience was over, they both understood that this had been meant to happen from the moment of Luke's birth, and then they were simply happy to be reunited.

* * *

Up until that moment, Luke hadn't been aware of just how much he had truly missed his father in his life, but now that they were bonded, he could remember searching for that feeling when he had been younger. He deduced that even when in his mother's womb, he and Anakin had been able to join like this.

*Indeed, we were. I was not often present during your mother's pregnancy, and I only found out after she had known for several months already, but when I finally found out as well, I couldn't help but reach out for your life presence. Sometimes you reacted, and sometimes you didn't."

Anakin then shared his memories of those moments through their bond.

*You thought that I would be a girl?" his son asked in disbelief even as he pushed away so that he could look up at him, his blue eyes wide with almost horror at the thought of himself being a girl.

*I couldn't help it, and especially when you _'felt'_ like one, but then you also felt like a boy, so... I didn't know what to think anymore."

*Then you became concerned by other matters and it all went to hell."

"Yes... It is one way of saying that I didn't spend enough time with you and your mother. Perhaps if I had, you would have saved me much earlier than you finally did."

*Perhaps," the youth answered somberly.

They both fell silent for a moment, pondering their latest exchange. Something was nagging at Anakin about it, but neither of them could figure out what it was.

*You know? I think that I could talk with you like that all the time," his son finally quipped while he slowly pulled away and righted himself once again. *This is so different than when you contacted me... before."

Anakin closed his eyes in renewed guilt. *I apologize for my invasiveness as Vader, Son. There are no excuses for how I treated you, even from a distance."

*Speaking of overdoing it," he locked his eyes with him, his countenance serious, *I can shield myself, and I _'am'_ a grown man who can take care of himself."

*Mostly," Anakin smirked yet nodded in understanding. *Very well, I promise to do my best not to overprotect you, but you can't begrudge me for trying to catch up on all the caring that I should have been doing before now."

*Do, or do not. There is no try," Luke answered, also adopting a conciliating mood.

*Stop quoting Yoda, Luke," he instantly rebuked him. *Too much use of his hand-me down wisdom and it will lose all its value."

*That, or I'll drive you crazy, I know," the young Jedi smirked teasingly. *All right, then, tell me the real reason why you don't want Karrde to drop us on Kamino itself."

Luke heard his father's sigh even as he felt his resignation that he had figured that much already. *We are not going to Kamino."

The youth couldn't help but gape in shock. "What? But I thought-"

His father brought his index to his torn lips and silently informed him to stick to their mental voices. Blushing slightly, Luke nodded in apology.

*Kamino is _'the'_ place where the Emperor will be expecting us to show up if we want to heal me. While he doesn't control the cloners there, they are the only ones advanced enough that could help me to at least replace my lungs and other damaged organs. It's a trap in every way but the obvious one."

*Then... then what are we going to do?"

*We will finally make use of my own rejuvenation project."

Luke could only stare in renewed confusion.

*Although I never imagined that my suit could be stopping me from healing, or so I'm beginning to suspect considering what happened with the mask and hood, I never believed that I couldn't be _'fixed'_ either. Hence, when Palpatine didn't give me anymore time to try and heal myself, I researched the subject for myself."

His son nodded in agreement with his decision.

*However, because it would take too much of my time, and that it did not serve his interests to see me out of the frightening armor that had now been associated with my new identity, he forbade me from using anymore of his resources for such a pointless project. He also kept me so busy even during my _'free'_ time that I didn't have time to think about it anymore. Or so I led him to think."

*What do you mean?"

*For a while, it's true, I didn't think about it anymore. I had been properly chastised into forgetting it... Then, I began to work on secret projects of my own, using my own resources, and then, one day, I read on the new cloning techniques and how they could hope to someday transplant good cells into a damaged organ so that it could regenerate itself. That was when I began to think of a new secret project that would be of a whole different nature than my other ones so far. Besides, I had learnt by then that, although they were secret from the rest of the galaxy, my projects were, sooner or later, always uncovered by my master. He just enjoyed letting me think otherwise until their results became a threat to him. Then, he would either sabotage them, or claim the research as his own and cut me off from it. I couldn't take that risk with my new one."

*The Emperor was sabotaging you?.."

*Always two, but only two Sith there are, Son. It is the Sith philosophy that the Apprentice will always seek to overthrow the Master, generally by killing him, and the Sith Master does everything to delay that moment. In Palpatine's case, I think that he believes himself immortal and undefeatable, not even by his apprentice. He has certainly survived at least two apprentices in my lifetime, and three serious attempts to take him down from yours truly. So, yes, in short, Palpatine trusted Vader about as far as he could throw him – without the Force, that is. Humiliating me by ruining my _'secret'_ projects was one of his ways to remind me that I was below him and even under his heel if he so wished."

*So what did you do for that project?"

*I set up two of them, but only ever thought of them as one. By then, I had figured that he could read my mind, which was how he had learnt about the other projects that I had tried to hide from him."

* * *

Luke perched an eyebrow at the irony of the revelation

*Yes," his father confirmed humbly, *I was once young and naïve as well. However, I learnt from my mistakes and, while I continued to set up projects here and there so that my intentions were blurred under a mere wish for secrecy, my true and ultimate project remained unsuspected."

*Are you certain of this? Or are you once again too naïve?.."

*Am I certain, mostly because of the location of the project, but also because of its promising results compared to those of the _'official'_ one; my Ryloth secret lab keeps facing setbacks whereas the truly secret one progresses without hurdles." Anakin smirked proudly at that. * I am glad to boast that I managed to turn Palpatine's technique against him."

*His technique?"

*To hide in plain sight while providing a still-concealed distraction that will draw all the focus off of what you are laboriously hiding. Because of my more direct and blunt approaches, he doesn't think that I can fool him, the master of deceit. He even once told me to stick to my commanding duties and to leave the long-term thinking to him... That was after I failed to contain a situation that I had caused."

*Okay, so where is that real medical project?"

*It's somewhere between Malastare and Nar Shaada."

*Somewhere?.. It's mobile?"

His father nodded at his deduction. *Mobile, cloaked, heavily shielded and known only by myself and the few souls that live aboard it."

*And that you can trust?"

*Completely. You will soon understand why."

*And will they remain loyal to Anakin?" Luke asked, pointing out the rancor that was in the room.

*It should not make a difference for the cloner, and as for his four companions, I suspect that they will be even more loyal to Anakin than they were to Vader."

*What about that healing technique?" Luke asked next. *Is it ready to be used?"

*If it isn't, at least you and I should be able to be fit with clone limbs, just like we could have on Kamino. I can also-"

*But… but getting cloned limbs is a very delicate procedure that can only take place in the best of installations... It requires a laser guidance system, several medical droids, surgical computers and what not!"

His father seemed impressed by his knowledge of the procedure.

*I checked for information after Bespin," he shrugged and avoided his eyes at the mention of that cursed place.

*You are right, of course, but I've been preparing this for years, Son. You wouldn't suspect the volume of advanced and specialized equipment that I have managed to acquire and sneak off to my secret research ship. It might not rival the installations of Kamino, but it will certainly be as top of the line as the Emperor's personal medcenter, I assure you."

*Father…" Luke began again, unconvinced.

*Besides, we have the Force as an ally and we are together to use what you have learnt of the healing trances. I am certain that we can do really well, even with my wasted lungs. And if it doesn't work," his father reminded him earnestly, *then we'll at least replace your missing leg and my out of date prosthesises and we'll wait for the rest until we can safely visit Kamino, once we've freed the galaxy of the Empire."

Luke finally sighed in acceptance. *All right... We are not risking anything by trying, are we? And that will give us time to prepare for your arrival at the Alliance."

Whereas his father had exuded quiet confidence so far, he suddenly balked in what Luke could only describe as fear. "Uh, about that, Son," he said out loud and Luke wondered if he was aware of the switch, "I am not certain that I should go with you when you return to the Alliance, or at least not while you report to them," he amended quickly. "I am your and their ally, I assure you, but... if we can't heal me enough to hide Vader's scars, they will not see me as anything but the enemy."

"If your defection is as well-advertised as we have seen, then they will know that they can trust you."

"No," his father shook his head and stood up to his feet. "They will only know that I have gone after you and that the Emperor seeks revenge for that. They will not know my true intentions like you do, let alone believe them."

"Then I will vouch for you."

When it was obvious to his father that Luke would not give up on that point, he stepped close to his still sitting son and set both of his hands on his shoulders. "How about this instead: we will first see to ourselves, save your friend, and then we will introduce me to the Alliance."

"With Han also vouching for your change of heart, you mean?" Luke asked, feeling a smirk tug at his lips despite the serious topic. "It would certainly be ironic to the end."

"And Princess Leia," Anakin pointed out after he grimaced at the mention of Solo's name. "She will be there to welcome Solo back, won't she?"

"I doubt that even Chewie will be able to keep her away from him," he confirmed. "Okay, we'll do it that way. However, you are aware that you haven't chosen your biggest fans to stand up for you, right?"

"Hopefully, my saving Solo from the Hutt will at least convince them of my trustworthiness."

"Yes, at least there should be that." He patted one of his father's hands in reassurance before he folded his remaining leg onto his chosen seat and inched his way backward until he could rest his sore back against the wall behind him. "Looks like we'll hit the ground running when we re-emerge, huh?"

His father helped him stabilize himself before he turned around and searched for something. "Has it ever happened any other way?" he pointed out grimly.

Luke could only concede the point while he yawned hard and long.

"I feel like I could sleep for days on end," he admitted while he checked if the crate that he was on was big enough for him to lay on it.

It wasn't.

* * *

"Then sleep. Nothing will happen till Corellia, and you don't have to keep me company. I have much thinking to do anyway. I'll wake you up when it's time to move." After he failed to find a blanket, he removed his dark brown cloak from his person and bunched it up into a lose pillow that he then offered to his son.

"You sure?" the youth asked even though he eagerly reached for the pillow that would allow him to at least sleep in a sitting position. "Sixteen hours can be long when spent alone. Besides, I might not need all that time to rest."

"You underestimate the effects of your severe injuries on your endurance, Son. Even though you have been healed from them, you didn't have time to recover from their side-effects before you were thrown back into action."

"So? It was the same on Hoth and on several other-"

"But those other occasions didn't involve a month-long jungle trek with interrupted nights and constant alertness, did they? Look," he offered gently when Luke was about to argue some more, "just sleep and we'll see when your body decides that it doesn't need any further rest, okay?"

"Okay... but I'm still not a child anymore," he warned him meaningfully.

"I know... my brave little Jedi," he teased him while he reached over and ruffled his hair with his gloved right hand.

Luke reflexively groaned and pulled away, but he still returned his father's smile before he settled in more comfortably to catch some rest.

Meanwhile, his father settled on another crate and sat quietly in his adapted meditation position. He didn't have his usual arm rests but he compensated by crossing his arms in front of himself.

Then, both fugitive Jedi lapsed into silence and rested from their tumultuous weeks of adventures.

However, both were aware that it was only the calm before the storm.

And indeed, Anakin mused before he fell in his trance, with Prince Xizor now acting as second-in-command from Coruscant and Sedriss - Vader's ex-biggest fan - now in charge of the hunt for the man who had dared betray his ideals, the galaxy would not be safe for either him or his son.

At least not until all those dangers and the Empire had been eradicated, once and for all.

TBC

* * *

Well? How was that? As I said, the points brought up about Kamino forced me to think harder about their next destination. What do you think of it? Thanks for pointing out the trap that I had unconsciously laid out for them ;P I would have had a hard time justifying their not getting caught there, and since I couldn't come up with anything, and that I didn't want to change whatwill follow Kamino, I had to change their destination :)

How about the father/son moments? Did you like the _'message'_ thing that Luke gave his father? And what about Sedriss? Do you know who he is? I hope you're not too disappointed by his identity but since it was more of a secondary role than anything else, I didn't want to waste Thrawn in that kind of cameo. Now, let's just see how Anakin will fare against the biggest Vader fan ever, huh? Or is the Sith faithful merely deluding himself into thinking that he can catch the man he used to admire? Dum-dum-dum-dum.

And now, what do you think will happen to them ;P Who is waiting at the rendezvous point aboard Anakin's secret lab? And what about the rest of Luke's friends? What do you think is happening to them by this point in the cannon?

Anything other thought to share with me? Please?

Have a great long week-end everyone, and lots of chocolate and sweets for those who get to eat them, and remember, reviews are very precious presents at any time of the year or the week, and better than chocolate for your devoted writers :) Favorites and alerts are great, but reviews speak so much more! Please, pretty please? And, as proven with this new post, pointing out the shortcomings or upcoming plot problems really help me fix them so that, hopefully, this fic is even better than it could have been :) thanks to your help!


	13. Chapter 13

An unfortunate blessing

By Mireille

02-01-01/2013

* * *

Previously: Vader managed to capture his son but Luke escaped from Executor before crashing on Myrkr. There, Luke became gravelly injured and Vader found him just as the Emperor turned against his confirmed traitorous servant. With Vader's help, Luke escaped the search parties and even received proper medical aid for part of his injuries. While moving around to avoid capture, father and son slowly bonded over shared memories and revealed secrets, but not all revelations were pleasant. Then, weeks after their first run-in, they finally found transport off planet and escaped from the Imperial blockade that was set up to catch them at all costs.

* * *

Summer! Hey everyone! As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed this story's latest post as well as the new readers that made themselves known! Your comments really mean a lot to me and I'm really happy that you enjoyed this last story so far as much as I had fun writing it! More father/son moments coming up!

Thanks as well for the favorites and alerts. I still hope to one day hear your thoughts in more details. (and yes, I do answer all the signed comments, so don't hesitate to leave a comment :) I don't bite, I promise! ; )

In regards to the anonymous reviews, thanks for your comments; in regards to Leia, her fate will begin to be hinted at in this long post : )

For everyone else, please, don't hesitate to share your thoughts :D The more I know that people read and enjoy this fic, the more I want to post more ASAP and end up actually _making_ time write more of it. Seeing as how real Life just threw me a curve that will tak up even more of my free time with cooking my food from the start because of a newfound intolerance to various basic products used in industrial foods, free time will be even more of a luxury than it used to be. As a result, any incentive to spend as much of it as possible on writing fanfic will work in your, my readers, favors ; p

And now, on with the fun! Time for the boys to catch some well-deserved respite and for Ani to reveal more of his secrets to his son. Have fun!

* * *

Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs to Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co. I'm only writing stories for fun.

* * *

**Part 13: Moment of respite**

In the end, Luke slept so soundly that his father had to shake him awake when Karrde finally flashed the lights on and off, informing them that they had reached their parting point.

By the time that the smuggler came in to guide them to the hangar bay, both Jedi were once again wide awake and ready to sneak away from the Wild Karrde and the rest of the galaxy.

Ani and his son quietly followed their ally, careful to remain silent and hidden in the Force; while a part of Karrde's crew was down on Corellia, delivering merchandise, the other part of it was busy eating the fresh meats and fruits that they had picked up on Selonia. That left only a minimal crew at their stations, and Karrde had made sure that most of those would be on the bridge and far away from the trio's path when they slinked their way through the ship.

Soon enough, they had reached the deserted hangar. The Jedi followed the smuggler aboard the shuttle, and then made sure that they were well within the cockpit of the ship before they dared talked anew.

"Once I leave the hangar bay, the cams will be off-line for fifteen minutes and the outer doors will open for five minutes. I trust that gives you enough time to make your escape?"

While Luke was eyeing the piloting station and the unfamiliar controls that they would have to figure out before they went anywhere, Ani clasped Karrde's offered hand and shook it vigorously. "Just make sure to be away from here when that happens, Karrde. Wouldn't want you to be sucked out by accident."

"It would be unpleasant, that's for sure," the no-nonsense smuggler nodded in agreement. "I guess I can only wish for you that the Force remains with you in your endeavor, Master Skywalker."

"Before we leave, though, I must do one more thing, Karrde, but only with your agreement."

The smuggler pulled back his hand, perplexed yet not concerned.

"What do you require, Master Jedi?"

Behind him, Luke had turned his seat to watch them yet he once again remained silent even though his Force senses were abuzz with wariness.

*Father?" he asked through their bond.

"It will be safer for both you and us if I block for a while your memories of our encounter."

"How long would 'a while' be?"

"A few months at the most," Anakin answered honestly. "I only wish to protect you from any risk of interrogation once you reach Malastare. It is not a matter of trust, but if there is ever a trace of deceit in your story and that you are brought in for investigation..." He began knowingly.

"What about my crew?" Karrde inquired, clearly aware that such a risk was most probable. "They will remember that you came in my camp before you disappeared once again."

*You didn't!" Came his son's voice even before Ani had answered the chief smuggler.

Apparently, his little Jedi had figured out what he had done while the youth had been resting.

"They don't remember us anymore, Karrde. I took the liberty of erasing any and all memory that your crewmen had of us being at your camp. I'm sorry that I didn't talk it over with you first, but I'm sure that you understand why I had to do it."

Karrde could only nod even though he did not like this discovery. "Will they be all right? And what about those that were left behind for this delivery? They will remember your presence there."

"Your crew will not suffer any side-effects from the minimal memory wipe that I performed on those that had heard or seen us. As for your people back on Myrkr, if you also agree, I will include a change of plan in my block of your own memories so that you will not return to Myrkr for a few months. By then, whether we've been seen there or not will be inconsequential, or so I pray the Force."

While he felt his son fume at his continued work as a lone Tidarian wolf, leaving him out of his true plans, Anakin kept his eyes locked on the pondering older man who was, as was his habit, stroking his goatee while he was deep in thoughts.

"So, you would leave me my memories of our collaboration while you erased even your likeness from my crew's? Why not erase mine as well and not bother about any possibility of leak or complications involving me?"

*Yeah, I'd like to know that as well," his resentful youth retorted sarcastically while he turned his seat fully around and crossed his arms in front of his chest in silent frustration.

"As I said, I want to give you the choice as to what happens to your memories," Ani explained to both of them. "If you prefer that I erase them as well, or that I do not alter them and let you lie your way out like usual, I will abide by your will. However, I would prefer to make certain that not even the Emperor himself can incriminate you if he scans your mind. As for once he is eliminated, I would very much like to be able to re-establish contact with an ally that I would gladly call friend if he allowed it."

While he felt his son's surprise and relief upon hearing and feeling his honest wish to merely protect Karrde while it was necessary, said smuggler smiled easily and relaxed from his tenser stance.

"Well, when put this way, how can anyone say no to mind manipulation?"

Anakin pursed his lips slightly in shame. "I wish that circumstances were different. You deserve better after everything you did and risked for us."

"At least we have the possibility to protect me from our secrets. You don't know how many times I have found myself wishing that we could erase or somehow shield our minds from being probed or forced into revealing information. I guess that my wish has come true when it matters the most."

"So you agree to his proposal?" Luke inquired, joining in the conversation for the first time since its beginning.

"Yes, Jedi Skywalker, I trust your father with my very life. Furthermost, I don't want to forget who owes me, and especially not a Jedi," he winked playfully before he turned serious and refocused his attention on the elder Jedi. "So how do we proceed?"

"I will accompany you back to the hatch and do it just before you leave the ship. Then, you'll leave the hangar bay under the instruction to return to the feast and join in, and everything else will fall into place and you will not even remember being in the hangar bay. When the imperials will check the footage of your surveillance cameras, they will see you - and you alone - check the ship before it was stolen from you even though you will not even remember coming down here. From experience born of chasing renegade Jedi of old, they should assume that we took control of you through our powers and that you were never even aware of our presence aboard your ship. Given both Vader's powers and Luke's reputation for resourcefulness, you then shouldn't be held accountable for any of our actions and that will be it. Then, one morning in a few months from now, you will wake up one morning and remember what we just agreed on as well as everything that preceded this moment."

*A plan worthy of Vader if it weren't so selfless," his uneasy son commented through their link. *I take it that the idea came from Anakin as he was in the old days?"

*I hope so," Ani answered earnestly while he watched the smuggler make his final decision.

"All right. Jedi Skywalker," he bid the youth farewell, slightly bowing his head at the seated boy, "it was an honor meeting you. Do take better care of yourself till we see each other again. I might need you in one piece when I finally call on that debt of ours."

While the smuggler kept ragging on the debt thing, both Luke and Anakin knew that, in fact, it was just his way of hiding his genuine care for the young rebel fighter. Luke smiled and bowed his head in return of the good wishes.

Karrde then turned his attention to the older Skywalker. "You, too, Master Jedi. Take good care of yourself, and may you be successful in your fight against the thorn in our collective side."

Both men shook hands firmly.

"Thank you, Karrde. In the meantime, stay out of trouble yourself. Smuggling can be so very dangerous when carrying the wrong kind of goods."

*Yeah, tell that to Han," Luke agreed with him; the mention of Solo's name brought up a twinge of concern in the youth's mind while it drew a frown of displeasure from the older Jedi.

Karrde was, as always, oblivious to their silent conversation and simply turned after he gave a last nod at the watching youth before he addressed the father once again. "Shall we?"

"After you," Anakin returned graciously, and then he and Karrde left the cockpit together.

* * *

Less than a minute later, Anakin came back alone in the cockpit and sat his heavy bulk in the pilot's seat. If not for the need of both feet to fly the ship, Luke would be sitting there already, but, well... he was once again relying on his father's skills even though he was a good pilot himself.

Outside of the darkened canopy, he saw Karrde leave the hangar and noticed how the man moved sluggishly, as if in a daze. The smuggler didn't look back even once before he sealed the door.

"Five minutes and counting," Anakin said in the silence. "Are we ready for lift-off?"

"She's all warmed-up and ready to go," he answered mechanically but his frown was not leaving his forehead. He simply didn't know how he felt in regards to his father's latest actions regarding the crews' memories. Was he disappointed? Upset? And why would he be? Was it because he had been left out as if he had nothing to contribute to the effort? Or because his father was still playing it close to the cape, which could mean that there was still some Vader left in him?

Or was it only because his father was acting like he was the one in charge and didn't have to discuss his plans with him?..

Weren't they a team? He wondered yet was careful not to broadcast his frustration. How did Anakin actually envision their joined efforts as Father and Son? Did he only see him as a subordinate, or even an underling? Was it too much to ask to be considered an equal, at least in terms of contributions?.. Why would his father insist that Luke was able on his own and that he had nothing to envy his father, only to turn around and pull off not one but two strategic moves without even discussing them with him?..

Was his father, the ex-Lord Vader and Jedi general, even able to think of anyone as equal to him in the ways that mattered? Was-

"Hey? Naboo to Luke, are you there?"

"Huh," the youth snapped out of his musings and turned his head toward his watching father.

"Is everything all right?"

"Yeah," he answered evasively while he quickly took note of their circumstances.

They were still in the hangar bay but the outer door had open. It was not time to discuss his upset feelings with his father.

"Okay..." Ani frowned, unconvinced, but didn't pry. "Keep an eye on those sensors and prepare to lower the outer shield. We're getting out of here."

"Copy. Everything's green and good to go. You can punch it," he answered, falling back into the familiar world of flying and technology.

And punch it, Anakin did.

They were out of the Wild Karrde in a flash, and then jumping through hyperspace before anyone could become aware that one of their shuttles had left.

The safety of hyperspace embraced them eagerly and they disappeared within its tapestry of light and shadows.

* * *

They had been in transition for nearly half an hour, and had even made their sixth change of direction after Anakin had contacted his secret mobile laboratory, before the older Skywalker decided that he had enough of the uncomfortable silence.

"All right, Luke, what is it? And don't say that it's nothing," he warned the already objecting youth, "I can feel your bubbling frustration as if it were my own. Letting it simmer is the worst that we can do, so speak up. What's troubling you?"

His son first stared at him as if he had been caught being naughty, and then he shrugged and looked back at the forward viewport and the motley sky of hyperspace. "It's probably nothing," he finally began with much more calm than Anakin expected considering how stormy his son's mood felt. "but... well...," the boy turned back toward him, locking their blue eyes together. "Do you trust me? I mean really, truly trust me? Like you used to trust Obi-Wan and even Mother?"

Anakin was caught completely unprepared by the question and quickly deflated from the authoritative stance that he had unconsciously adopted with the boy. "What? Why would you- Of course, Luke. Of course I implicitly trust you in any possible way. Why do you even doubt this?"

"Then why didn't you tell me about your secret ship? Or included me in your plans to erase the memories of Karrde and his people?"

"I... do you know how to do that trick already?" he defended himself with another question, one of which he knew the answer.

"No, but that's not-"

"Then why should I have woken you up to inform you of my plans when you so obviously needed your sleep and that the Force had been clear that it was an urgent matter? Besides, I didn't try to hide it from you; I merely told you after the deed was done."

"Because you told Karrde about it," his son argued, displeased. "Otherwise, I doubt that I would have heard about it until much later."

Anakin frowned at his son's worsening stubbornness. "You were asleep, Luke. You slept until the time came to leave, remember? We didn't have time to talk until then."

"Okay, perhaps," his son yielded, unhappy to give him this point, "but why didn't you tell me back in the forest about your mobile lab? Why not be honest about it instead of making me believe that we were going to Kamino? I don't understand," he finally whined and turned away, swivelling his seat as well this time so that its high back blocked him from view.

Anakin's first instinct was to retort more vehemently that he hadn't wanted to risk his secret lab back then in case Luke were ever caught and revealed the information. However, when he felt his son's composure falter even as he heard sobs of sadness come from the youth's seat, he sighed and calmed down once again.

Slowly, he stood up and, resting his hand on his son's headrest, gently turned the boy's chair around until he could see him once again. He then knelt down so as to not loom over him in any way and brought his right hand to his son's left cheek where a heavy tear was rolling down toward his jaw. "Luke, what is it? I don't want to hurt you on any way ever again, so please, tell me."

"Why did you lie to me?" the youth asked, his voice broken by his sobs. "Don't you trust me? Don't you…?"

'Love me?' he heard through the Force even though his son hadn't sent it in any way.

All of a sudden, Anakin understood that, now that the danger was finally over, all the trauma of the previous weeks as well as the secrets of old were finally taking their due toll on his exhausted little Jedi and the boy didn't know how to deal with the emotions that were suddenly churning up inside him.

"I love you, my son, I trust you with my life, and I am sorry that I didn't tell you everything up front; old habits die hard, I'm afraid. Now, come here, my little Jedi. It's over, and we're finally together and in the Light."

When he leaned closer to hold his son in his arms, the youth also leaned forward and out of his seat to hold him to himself. They ended up kneeling on the deck, holding each other as if they would never let go.

"I would have never given you up had I known that you were still alive, Luke. I wanted you so much in my life," he stated with finality. "I had so much to give you and you were taken from me before I could give you anything, least of all my boundless love for the miracle that you were." He slightly pulled away and, resting a finger under his son's dimpled chin, made him look at him so that he saw how earnest he was in that regard. "Don't ever think that you were not wanted, Son. Your mother and I loved you even before we knew that you were coming – and you didn't kill your mother either," he reassured the distraught youth when he felt and saw in the tears-wet eyes the second subconscious self-reprimand replace the first. "Circumstances forced Padme to hide her pregnancy so that when complications occurred… after I..." He hugged the boy yet again, unable to look him in the eye upon revisiting his crime against his beloved. "What could have been done to prevent their lethal consequences hadn't been done. It is my fault that she died, my fault that she had to hide her pregnancy, and my fault that she wasn't healthy when she gave birth to you." He tightened his arms around his miraculously alive grown up child. "You are completely blameless, little one. Never, ever forget that, please."

"Father," the youth sobbed against his shoulder, "I'm sorry," he said and pulled away from him before he quickly dried his eyes and tried to compose himself. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me... I don't usually… I mean…"

"It was probably overdue, Luke," he soothed him kindly. "Don't worry, there was no harm done at all. Besides, I did not complain about holding my son, did I?"

"Well," the youth flushed nervously, "no, but I'm an adult now and men, in particular, are not supposed to cry anymore and... and it's not very Jedi like either, and..."

"And nothing," Ani smiled in reassurance. "You needed the outlet and I was glad to be here for you. Now, about that trust issue," he went on more seriously. "While you were catching some much needed sleep, I meditated and saw that, while Palpatine can't pinpoint our exact location, he is still aware that we are back in the rest of the galaxy, thus that we have left Myrkr aboard Karrde's ship. It was the only ship that left yesterday and so, I knew that the only way to protect Karrde was to make him appear a victim of our hiding aboard his ship. I had no choice or else Sedriss would -"

"Who's Sedriss?"

"Palpatine's personal servant who is now in charge of the hunt for the ex-Lord Vader and the rebel commander Luke Skywalker."

"You seem concerned about him but I've never heard of him anywhere."

Anakin sighed heavily and leaned back on his haunches. "He knows me very well, and then some." A strange smirk then formed on Anakin's scarred lips. "You could say that he is the biggest Vader fan of the galaxy, and so now," he fell serious again, "he is determined to catch me using that knowledge, some of which he acquired by being involved in Sith matters. He is not Force-sensitive," he informed him before he could ask, "but next to Vader, he is the best Jedi hunter of the Empire. He will be waiting for Karrde at Malastare and, if he has the slightest inkling that Karrde willingly helped us, he will detain and question both him and his crew."

"Torture..." Luke half-whispered, his throat tight with understandable dread. "As much as I don't like it," he grimaced, "your change of plan makes sense."

"And what don't you like?" Anakin inquired, raising a newly-regrown pale eyebrow at him.

"It's just... mind manipulation is so... underhanded," the youth shrugged. He then turned around and pulled himself back into the co-pilot seat. "I never envisioned the Jedi to act like that... Only Sith Lords."

* * *

Indeed, Luke pursed his lips while he seated himself back in the swivelling chair, he had never thought that the noble Knights of old had been even slightly deceitful when they had been legion, let alone... And yet, Ben's first actions as his Jedi mentor had been to deceive first, the Sandpeoples, then him by lying about his father's fate, and then the troopers in Mos Eisley. As for Yoda, his first approach had also been to pretend being someone else... So deceit appeared to be the more common way of 'any' Force user of old.

"Feeling better now?" his father inquired solicitously.

"Sure, if I don't count losing more of my naiveté," he grimaced in self-deprecation.

His father patted his hand in sympathy while he stood back up. "I know what you mean, Son. However, to avoid more disappointments, keep in mind that Jedi, like everyone else, are living beings. They are not perfect, and they are not above bending rules when the circumstances require it... Furthermore, they, unlike regular beings, can actually bend even the rules of science of the galaxy."

"But should they?.. 'That' is what I'm asking myself," the youth admitted out loud.

Anakin shrugged and sat back down in the pilot seat. "Is the Force a curse because it can be used against the Force itself when it falls in the wrong hands? Should we stop using it altogether because it doesn't abide by the limiting laws of physics of the non Force-sensitive scientists of the galaxy?"

"No, of course not!" Luke replied easily. "The Force 'is' the galaxy and, if it were not meant to be used by some of us, we wouldn't feel it, nor would have any of our predecessors."

"And how would you justify defying gravity to leap to a second floor and save a child in a fire but not make a smuggler's group forget an event so as to save them from cruel retaliation because of the help that one of them gave us?" his father asked further.

"I... I guess," Luke surrendered, squirming uneasily in his seat. "Still, if that is true, then where is the limit between good and wrong usage of the Force? Between the Light and the Dark side? How do we know that we're not abusing our special abilities?"

"Your heart is both that limit and your barometer, Son. When you act out of selflessness, it is at peace, calm, and so is your passive but aware soul. As you already know, remember?"

"I..." he began, but fell silent as the words of his current Jedi master came back to him.

"Trust me, son," his father reassured him confidently, "if you ever begin to think of yourself first, you will sense the difference steal over you. The sudden headiness, overconfidence and fear of losing something will be most unmistakable for someone as steeped in the Light as you are."

They then fell silent, but the tension of the first minutes of their flight was over.

* * *

"Why didn't you ever become aware of it then?" his ever-shrewd little Jedi finally asked, unable to resist the puzzle that his father had just laid before him.

Anakin closed his eyes in perpetual shame at his own shortcomings and took a deep breath so as to not fall victim to his sorrows yet again. "It was a very slow process for me, Son. I had been steeped in fear for as long as I remembered, even before I became a Jedi. Truthfully, I don't think that I've ever even known a fearless moment until you came along and taught me true selflessness. As for selfishness, arrogance, and all those unpleasant emotions that lead to the Dark Side, someone made sure that I never wizened up to them, until too late." He closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief at his own stupidity before he opened them again and looked at his enraptured son. "He had me so wrapped up around his little finger that he even had me convinced that Obi-Wan's wise advices and warnings were only so many ways that my jealous master sought to limit my growth, thus was keeping me from reaching my full and limitless potential."

His son fell silent at that but his eyes spoke volume as to his compassion for his plight as a then troubled youth. But then, since Luke was barely out of that difficult time between childhood and manhood, his wise son could only remember vividly how strong his frustrations and resentment had been at any perceived restraint or limitations of what he could really be. As a result, he undoubtedly understood that, for Anakin, who had already and repeatedly proven himself to be the most volatile of the two, that time of his life had had to be tormenting and upsetting to the utmost.

"If only it had happened otherwise," the youth finally breathed, sorrowful.

"Yes... though what is done is done, and reminiscing it too much is just as bad as forgetting it completely, or so you keep telling me," Anakin teased his ever-insightful boy.

"Okay, so, back to the original topic of your strategies," the boy stated, shooing away their melancholy, "I understand that there was no harm done once again, but... Please, let's stick to honesty as much as possible. I don't like lying or hiding things from friends and allies unless I really have to."

Anakin, who had been nodding in agreement with his son's request to stick even further to the moral ways of the Force, paused on his son's last statement. "Speaking of friends, have you told anyone about you and...?"

"No...," the youth shook his head, his longuish hair trailing down across his eyes when he looked down at his hands – hand, he belatedly understood. "I couldn't... How could I anyway?.. Before now, I mean!" he quickly specified, looking back up at him in silent apology for bringing the dark specter of Vader back in the conversation.

Anakin wasn't upset in the least. In fact, he was relieved that their secret wasn't out in the open in the Rebellion. "Are you sure that you should, then? Perhaps you should stick to your discreet approach for now and simply introduce me as someone else than your father. After all, new allies come and go in your life, don't they?"

"But not new Jedi Master allies,..."

"Oh, and what about master Yoda? What is he if not a new Jedi Master ally?..

"He is the 'last' Jedi master alive... and that, I did share with Leia," Luke sighed at the irony of the situation. "You can't be just another random Jedi Master without raising suspicion."

"Then how about a mere Knight? Obi-Wan was a survivor of the purge, and there are others that have never been officially reported dead. I could be a then-older Padawan who never finished his training until he also found Yoda. We could have met when you returned to him after you escaped Vader-"

"Except that Vader's defection from the Empire is now a well-known fact by everyone. They will also know that we were together because the reports put us together on Myrkr." He closed his eyes and thought for a moment before he sighed and looked back up at him. "I don't think that we should attempt any form of deceit, Father. I think we should merely stick to the plan to first rescue Han, and then let your actions speak for you."

"Ah, yes, Solo... I had forgotten about that fellow. I can't say that he will be a reason for me to hasten my healing," he admitted honestly.

"Father," his son rebutted him, wordlessly defending his absent best friend with a mild glare of defiance.

Anakin shrugged his broad shoulders in answer before he refocused his attention on the piloting board.

"How long till the rendezvous point?" Luke asked, obviously aware of what he had been looking at.

"Just plenty of time for me to prepare you for who you will meet once we come aboard," Anakin answered and turned back toward his once again curious boy.

Throughout the rest of their transit, he proceeded to tell him about everything and everyone that was involved in the secret project that would soon put them back on their feet.

Then, they would go after the irritating smuggler that Anakin just couldn't imagine ever even caring about.

* * *

Even though his father had done his best to share his knowledge of the individuals that were meeting them aboard their destination, and about one of their two species in particular, Luke was still shocked when he finally met with them.

He was particularly speechless when they greeted them as if they were gods or something.

*I thought you said that they were loyal to you."

*They are. Why the question?"

*This is not loyalty; it's veneration and adulation. It's not the Jedi way to exploit primitive people like that."

*And I will rectify their attitude as soon as I can, but for now, remember that they think me Vader still. Trust me, Son. In time, everything will be fixed with everyone, but please, give me that time."

In front of them, the bowed and kneeling figures rose as one and resumed their position on either sides of the entrance bay while their leader waited for orders.

"Thank you, Mobveh'kar. Prepare your ship. I have a mission for you. I wish to speak to all the dynasts at the same time, but no one else must know where you will take them or what will happen. The Empire is now my enemy as well as the Noghris'."

If Luke hadn't felt a thrum of reassurance through the Force, he would have feared the worst right now. However, his father's trust in the alien's loyalty in his person and not his master was apparently right on the mark. Luke made a note to himself to inquire how that little miracle came to be considering who Anakin was when he met the Noghri.

"No one except the dynasts will know that I have even returned, my Lord. Shall I bring them here? Or will you contact them once they are aboard my ship?"

"I will contact them. When I do, stay with them. What I will share with them concerns you as well. After your mission, you will stay on Honoghr. After hearing me, you will know what to do."

Luke shifted in uneasiness when the sturdy little alien bowed deeply once again to the both of them.

"As you wish, my Lord."

Then, with barely a whisper of clothes, the alien straightened up and swiftly disappeared down a corridor.

It was only then that the young Jedi became aware that his companions had also left them while his father had been talking with their superior.

"Come on," his father invited, cutting into his thoughts as he resumed being his human crutch. "We are expected further inside and the faster we get started with the procedures, the sooner we will be able to leave."

*You will set them free from their servitude, won't you?" he inquired, careful to communicate through their bond since he could feel the guards' presence nearby even if he couldn't distinguish them from the thick shadows of the hallway.

*As I said I would," his father reassured him while he helped him along. *However, you have to remember that the Noghri are like Wookiees in their moral and honorable values. They might decide that they still owe 'us' a life debt for saving them now. If they do, nothing will stop or discourage them from serving us still."

*Not even if we release them from that obligation?"

While he and his father moved further inside the ship and toward the waiting medical station, Anakin turned around and gazed down at him. *Didn't Solo ever tell you how impossible it was for him to convince his Wookiee from returning to his family after that he had freed him?"

Luke grimaced at the thought that he could be in a situation similar to what Han had been through with Chewie before the new smugglers had become better acquainted. He could only imagine how worse it could be if he also had to deal with a constantly-venerating forced companion. It was enough to accept being 'Master Luke' and 'Sir' with Threepio... He couldn't imagine ever being called 'my lord'. *Then I hope that they won't see us as savior but rather as correcting a mistake that you made while serving Palpatine."

*In which case 'you' will be the sole focus of their gratitude since you are my savior as well."

"Ugh," the youth groaned out loud before he hopped yet again on his right foot; he was aware that unless the Noghri were not nearly as devoted and honour-bound as his father believed, he would soon be faced with his own devoted bodyguard or worse, bodyguards.

His father chuckled at his discomfiture and ruffled his hair after he helped him down on a bunk. "It comes with being a hero, young Jedi. Get used to it."

"But you never had to deal with that as a Jedi, nor did anyone else at the temple. Why should it be different?"

"It's a matter of who we help, Son," he simply shrugged, and then fell thoughtful. "If Qui-Gon had lived to be my Jedi master, I would have owed him a life debt for saving me from slavery."

"Well don't you dare think that way in my regards, Father. We are family. That's what we do for one another," the youth warned him. He then noticed and felt the presence of the Kaminoan medic/cloner and leaned slightly to the left to look at their witness.

Anakin, for his part, turned toward his medic. "Doctor Te So, this is my son, Luke Skywalker. Luke, meet doctor Te So, an underestimated young cloner that has been preparing a miracle in secret."

"Lord Vader," the Kaminoan bowed briefly to the nodding youth but did not look at him anymore than necessary. "I received your message but I must protest, my Lord. I am not ready yet to test the product, and -"

"Doctor," his father interrupted her sternly. "I do not have time for perfection this time. For now, please run the tests that I requested and we will discuss our available options afterward. Also, my name is not Vader anymore. I am once again Anakin Skywalker and wish to be addressed as such."

"Even a prosthesis will do, Doctor So," his son added, searching the eyes of the tall and willowy alien with his own.

"Very well. I will begin with the youth while you prepare in your hyperbaric chamber, my- Sir."

Luke nodded in agreement while he pushed himself into a more stable position on the bunk so as to be examined.

"I'll be back," Anakin bid his son before he reluctantly went into yet another one of his hated if larger hyperbaric chambers. Soon, he encouraged himself, soon, it would be over.

Sighing into the medical mask that he had almost began to forget that he had to wear still, he shed his dirty clothes of the past month before he peeled off the armor that he had been wearing underneath.

That, he would never wear ever again, he swore as he threw it down to the deck before he sat down in his rigid and uncomfortable trademark chair. As Vader, he had foregone almost every kind of physical comfort, believing that he deserved pain in even the smallest of ways, but as Anakin reborn, the first thing he was going to do, once he had time to be concerned once again about mundane matters, would be to truly embrace at least life's simple riches and comforts, just like Padme would have wanted him to if they had lived together. Heck, even the Jedi had still been kinder to their bodies than he had been as Vader even though he hadn't been held back by codes and pointless vows of poverty and asceticism.

Since he wasn't a Jedi of the old order anymore, and that he had no intention to bring back the aspects that had never made any sense to him anyway, he would live like a regular citizen, just like his son had been doing – and doing well, too.

Still, for now, he sat in his short-backed swivel chair and adopted as comfortable a position as he could before he sealed up his hyperbaric room.

Then, and only then, he removed his medical mask and breathed on his own. He grimaced at the medical tang of the air that now filled his lungs; he had not missed it at all while using his modified emergency breather. He forced himself to ignore it once again – one last time, perhaps – and focused instead on what was awaiting him and his son before long.

The Emperor.

Indeed, once the Solo diversion was over with, and that he had made certain that the Alliance would not cause any problem for him or his son, they would have to turn their attention to the root of the evil that they were fighting against. Palpatine, however, would be waiting for them.

He would look forward to exploiting every single weakness that he had purposefully left in the father for just such a moment while using the fledgling and fragile bond between father and son to turn the youth against his father.

Anakin couldn't allow that to happen, which meant that he had to be completely honest and trusting in his son. He had to tell him everything about the past so that Sidious couldn't pull a skeleton from Vader's closet and dangle its horrifying truth in front of his son's hypersensitive soul.

He had to risk facing his son's rejection before they could even think about seeking out the one responsible for their family's woes.

*Father, are you all right?" his son inquired through their bond. *You seem..."

*Downcast? Sad? Forlorn?" he offered knowingly.

*Yeah, and afraid. What is on your mind?"

Anakin took a deep breath, doing his best to control his frustration upon being told that he was once again slipping in his bad habits of letting his negativism get the best of him. *As soon as we can, we still have much to talk about, Son. I have been... editing what I chose to share with you since Myrkr... I didn't... I couldn't..."

*Dad, it's okay," his young Jedi reassured him both in words and through their emotional bond. *We'll take it one step at a time, one conversation at a time. Even if you could, I wouldn't expect you to share twenty years of crimes against the Force in one exchange, or even in a few weeks. We will talk and you don't have to be -"

"But I do, Son. I do because if I don't tell you about everything in every morbid details, then Palpatine will be able to use whatever remaining secret between us there is, and he will juice it for all its worth… but even as I share those horrors... I will horrify you anew, I just know it and... and I can't... I don't want to..."

He felt his son's presence wrap around him as if the boy was hugging him from over his chair in comfort and swiftly responded by latching onto the closer presence as if it were his life line.

"Sir?" the Kaminoan inquired in the silence as he stepped inside the transition vestibule that would allow him inside the pressurized room proper. "Are you ready for us to proceed with your tests?"

Anakin silently motioned the cloner inside while he focused most of his attention on his son's supporting presence. His little Force angel... he could only pray that, when the boy would learn how, exactly, his mother had died, or rather why, Luke would still be able to even look at him as he did now, let alone understand his temporary folly of that time and that he wasn't that monster anymore.

*Do you want me to stay while you undergo your own tests?" his son offered, and he realized that his desperation was making it clear through to the youth.

*No, thank you. Feel free to use the crutches left by Te So and explore this level of the ship. I'll rejoin you once we are done here, in a few hours."

*How do you- ah, of course," his son answered himself as to how he had known about the medic's actions in regards to Luke's mobility. *Do you mind if I contact the Alliance? I want to check on Leia and make sure that she's all right as well as reassure her about my safety."

*Go ahead. Ask a Noghri and they will help you establish a secure channel. Just don't tell them where you are, okay?"

*I'll say that we're on Kamino, which, in a way, we are, aren't we?"

Anakin smirked at his son's suddenly shifty approach. *Ah, so you're catching the gist of being deceiving, aren't you?"

*From a certain point of view, I'm telling the truth," Luke retorted; Ani felt his son's remaining disappointment in his deceased mentor, but at least the dangerous resentment was gone now. Not that his son had ever been at risk of becoming a Dark Jedi because of it, but the less sources of anger there would be in the youth, the better Anakin would feel.

He had enough of keeping an eye on himself without having to protect his son from himself as well.

*Okay, so I'll find a corner to catch up on the latest news while waiting for you."

Anakin nodded mentally before he reluctantly pulled away from the disappearing closer – almost physical – contact that he had been sharing with his son.

"So," he said out loud, turning his attention to the waiting cloner. He winced inwardly at the sight of his probes and sharp instruments but was careful not to show his newfound discomfort with medical procedures. "What is it about the product not being ready?"

* * *

Leaning on his crutches, Luke tapped his way out of the medical room and into the corridor proper. He briefly extended his senses to find the two remaining Noghri guards, located the one nearest the automated bridge, and, after checking one last time on his father's unusually nervous presence, headed toward his best estimation of where he could find a communication station.

Besides, his father had told him to ask one of their guards for help, so the one nearest the bridge was probably his best bet to find what he was looking for without having to undo any of the steps that he would make prior to locating one of the small aliens.

Slowly, carefully studying his unfamiliar surroundings while he was still getting used to moving with the crutches, he walked down the barely-lit corridor. Except for the electronic controls that were inset besides the few doors that lined the corridor, and the single lights that sat on the walls at regular intervals, the corridor, like the rest of the ship that he had seen so far, was kept in pervasive darkness.

The only place where he had seen more regular overhead lighting that left very little to the imagination was the medical quarters that he had just vacated. He wondered if the oppressive shadows were the results of Vader's mood when he had designed this ship in an effort to hide his true efforts from his deceitful Sith master, or if it were due to another, perhaps more practical reason.

After all, considering how very few people lived aboard this ship, and how rarely it was resupplied in even the basics, perhaps his father had designed the ship this way so that it didn't use up energy when it didn't have to.

He would have to inquire about that.

Still, if he had been brought here under any other circumstances, the ominous atmosphere of the place would have not helped his father in his endeavor to convince him of his good heart.

Then, there were his very peculiar Noghri guards. With features that came straight out of nightmares and horror holomovies, the compact killing machines looked anything but reassuring, and even less so when one could barely distinguish their features from the surrounding shadows.

That was probably what had unbalanced him the most when they had arrived and met with them. Indeed, even though he had known what to expect from his father's sharing of his knowledge and visual memories of them, to meet them in such a gloomy setting – which his father had not prepared him for...

If it hadn't been for Anakin's sturdy and confident presence right by his side, Luke would have felt really ill at ease while facing the diminutive aliens.

"Young Lord," a gravelly voice mewled lowly from the suffocating shadows. Although he had been preparing himself for this, Luke still started and almost tripped over his good foot at the interruption.

A strong clawed hand thus gripped his right biceps and helped him maintain his balance, and Luke was both grateful and nervous about the physical contact. "Uh, sorry... thank you, ah..? What's your name?"

"Our Lord calls me Cakhmaim, young Lord."

"Then I shall as well. Please, call me Luke, and thank you for the assist."

"Of course, young Lord," the Noghri nodded, his fanged features showing in sharp relief as he stepped slightly aside and further into the dim light. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I wish to contact the Alliance. Father told me that you could help me establish a secure channel."

"This way, please," the alien signaled with his long arm before he took the lead and guided him toward the nearest communication console.

As he followed, at a faster pace than he had been moving before, Luke couldn't help but notice that even though he knew that he was following a Noghri and what the being looked like in terms of shape and dimensions, he could barely distinguish the other's outline as he moved from shadow to shadow, or so it seemed to his eyes.

He thus understood even better how the Emperor had accepted to give them a special role in his otherwise xenophobic reign. Of course, the aliens were mere slaves as far as Palpatine was concerned, but they still held a rather unique status since they were well-treated and trained in ways that were unheard of for any other alien primitive species.

That, though, was due to his father's intervention on their behalf. Although twisted at the time since Vader had only seen an advantage to exploit if he and Palpatine could dupe the Noghri into servitude, his father's interest for the capable small aliens had still gone beyond mere enlistment and had included efforts to help them rebuild their ruined society into one that would function on their now limited clean lands.

Vader was also responsible for keeping the Noghri alive and into humane service for this long as Palpatine had lost interest in his 'toys' and had been ready to dismiss them and even eliminate them as they had been more trouble than their worth. Vader, however, had disagreed and had taken upon himself and his own fortune to maintain the alien's stable if enslaved situation.

In truth, the Noghri served his father, not the Empire, and that was why Palpatine had sought to eliminate them from the equation.

Since he hadn't been successful, he had probably taken other measures to make sure that his father couldn't rally them to his cause. Luke made a note to ponder that possibility once he was all caught up with the current events.

"Is everything well on Honoghr, Cakhmaim?" he still inquired in the silence.

"As well as can be, young Lord. Thank you for your concern."

"It's only natural considering your people's excellent service to my father," he answered.

"It is always an honor to serve our first Lord and savior, young Lord."

While Luke understood that, just like his father had warned him, he was already considered to be heir of his reign over the Noghri clans, the Force tickled him at the mention of a first Lord. "Do you have more than one Lord now?"

"The Grand Admiral Thrawn is our official new overlord, young Lord. However, for this crew, our first and only loyalty will always remain to your father, and now you."

Ah, and there was the catch that he had sensed waiting for them. The Noghri were not his father to command anymore...

"Is this why Mobveh'kar took Father's orders without any mention of a new overlord being assigned to your people?"

Cakhmaim made a strange growling sound in the back of his throat even as his discomfort with the question rang clear through Luke's Force senses. "I cannot speak for my superior, young Lord. However, Lord Vader, by any name or in any form, will always remain Honoghr' savior. We owe him our people's survival. It is an honor to be entrusted with his greatest secrets from his enemies, within and without the Empire, and in return for his trust, we will always and forever serve him and only him. This, we have spoken briefly about when we first came aboard the Legacy."

"I understand. So... what of the rest of your people?" he inquired, feeling his throat tighten at the thought of losing such a potential ally against Palpatine.

"I do not know, young Lord. However, I suspect that most are also still loyal, first and foremost, to our first lord. The change of leadership has only been in effect for a month and our new Lord is still unknown except by name. Only the Dynasts have met him, and only briefly. Lord Vader, on the other hand, has visited every clan more than once so that several generations have had the honor of seeing him with their own eyes. He has also interacted not only with the Dynasts, but also the maitrakhs and councils of every clan. He did for us what no one ever could in thousands of generations: unify the Noghri people into one clan."

Then there was hope yet, Luke sighed in relief yet he could feel that the battle was far from won.

"Thank you for your loyalty, Cakhmaim. It is greatly appreciated."

"It is our duty, young Lord. Your father saved us. We owe him our lives."

Before Luke could say anything further, or ponder anew this unexpected honorable and benevolent side of his father's former persona, the Noghri reached a door and keyed it open. Behind it was one of the most sophisticated communication rooms that the youth had ever seen. Not even the communication stations aboard the latest rebel fleet's addition could compare to the top-of-the-line holocom that waited in standby. As for the scrambling equipment that was at his disposal here, it would make the Alliance' intel officers slobber in envy.

Yet, for all that high technology, Luke knew that its presence aboard this ship was due to his father's personal interest and fortune being involved in the project rather than the Empire's. After all, even the imperial ships and installation rarely benefitted from that kind of very expensive new technology. Or rather, he amended himself, it never reached imperial ships and installations that were not on Coruscant, or else assigned to the Emperor's personal safety and/or projects.

Awed despite himself at the extent of the advanced technology that was gathered in what had looked completely inconspicuous from the corridor, Luke quietly, almost reverently, ambled inside and followed the Noghri soldier toward a particular station. The Noghri silently invited him to sit in the command chair while he turned on the transmitting device, and then stepped aside so that he could slide the chair forward toward the audio pick-up.

"I assume that you wish to keep this conversation audio only, young Lord?"

"Yes, that would be wiser, I think."

The Noghri bowed his head in acknowledgment before he quickly explained the different functions to him. Together, they first prepared the scrambling signals, and then the alien left him alone to establish contact with his allies from the Alliance.

The young Jedi first tried the frequency that had been used when he had last left the Fleet, to no avail.

However, he knew better than to be discouraged and continued with the next frequency in line. He hadn't really expected his first try to be successful as he had been missing for a whole month.

Still, he had had to start somewhere, and with their change of frequency being as random as possible so as to avoid exposing a pattern to any imperial spies, he had to take a shot at it.

As it was, he established contact after a fourth try. He transmitted his equally changing code so that it confirmed his identity as well as the last time that he had had contact with the Alliance in any way.

He was most pleasantly surprised when an old friend answered him.

"Luke? Is that really you?"

Which was only his friend's way of expressing his disbelief and relief upon hearing from him once again. After all, his code had already confirmed everything anyone needed to know about the caller's identity.

"Yes, Wedge, it's me. At last!" he smiled lamely even as he sighed in relief upon finding a close friend right away.

"Where have you been? When Artoo returned alone, we feared the worst and-"

"I can only imagine, Wedge. I'm sorry I didn't get back to you guys sooner but, until now, I was stranded without any means of communication. How are things? How is Leia?" he inquired next. "Has she rescued Han while I wasn't there?"

"Unfortunately not," his friend answered, and it was his turn to sigh heavily.

"I see… Did you at least uncover Han's whereabouts? And did you catch a break with the imperials now that they're chasing the traitorous Vader?"

"Yes, and no, but there's more important than that, Luke. You have no idea how encouraging it is to hear from you."

"What is it?" the young Jedi inquired, pushing himself to the edge of his seat in sudden concern.

He had a 'bad' feeling about all this.

"I... How soon can you rejoin us? We really need your help, Luke."

Luke's shoulders slumped down in discouragement. "Not for a few more days at least... I'm not exactly in one piece right now."

"Not in one- what? What happened? Are you all right?"

"As right as can be now, but I'm waiting for a leg prosthesis." Silence answered him. "I crash landed before I was stranded. I crushed my left leg during the crash."

"How did you make it out without your two legs?"

Luke pondered his words a moment, and then decided to stick to the story that he and his father had agreed on for now. Just yet another lie for the time being. "I was found and taken in by peasants who tended to me. While I was in their village, I found someone who accepted to take me to the nearest medical facility that could fit me with a prosthesis without alerting the imperials of my presence."

"Where are you?"

"Kamino, in a minor medcenter. I'll be out and on my way back to the group in a week or two at the latest."

"You have a ship?"

"And I'm not alone. Someone else is with me and keeping an eye out for problems while I'm stuck with crutches. What about the Alliance? What's wrong?"

"Leia's missing."

The information felt like so much lead in the bottom of Luke's stomach even as a cold shiver of dread ran throughout his body at the mention of his best friend's predicament.

"Missing? How? Where? What happened? Do you know if she's-"

"She was on Coruscant, trying to ally Black Sun to our cause while investigating who wanted you dead. Chewie was with her until she told him to escape and bring the information back to us. Luke, Black Sun wants you dead. They are behind the bounty on your dead head and the sabotage of the astromech that targeted you."

"What about Leia? What happened to her?" he inquired, brushing aside any concern about his own fate. Only Leia mattered now, and the Force was screaming her agreement with his judgment.

"We don't know. We tried to mount a rescue, but by the time that we heard about what had happened, Han had been delivered to Jabba and Lando had joined the skiff guards to gather intel for Solo's rescue. We sent feelers to at least confirm that she was still in Black Sun's palace on Coruscant, but they never found a trace of her. We fear that-"

"No!" Luke objected sternly. "No, she is not dead. I can feel that she is still alive, but other than that... I'll go after her once we have rescued Han. Tell Chewie to put a hold on any plan that he and Lando might have. I'll rejoin them at Tatooine's rendezvous point and, together, we'll go after Han." He stopped just long enough to take a breath and calm down a little. "If you don't have anything special to do, Wedge, we could use you, Zev, Dash and anyone else who wants to use their comedian talents to infiltrate Jabba's den once the plan is set."

"And what is the plan?"

"Discretion and stealth."

Wedge's snort came clearly through the mike. "You? Is that a Jedi influence?"

"Actually, yes, it's exactly what it is. Can I count on you to join the party, but discreetly?"

"Me and the boys will find a way to get there before you do, Boss. In the meantime, get yourself fixed up, and try to arrive in one piece this time."

"No more crash landing, got it," he smiled in return. "Not that they're my choice when they happen, of course."

"Of course. I'll relay your information to Command, Luke. Will you contact us again?"

"I might not be able to, so I won't make any promises," he answered. Although he knew that his father would not stop him from contacting the Alliance again, Luke preferred not to make any arrangements that he might not be able to honor afterward.

After all, who knew what was waiting for them from day to day, and with Leia missing...

He might just go after her before he headed for Tatooine where he and his father would rejoin the rest of the galaxy.

"All right then. Take care, Luke. Antilles out."

"You, too, Wedge. Skywalker out."

He ended the communication, turned off the transmitter so as to avoid any risk of being tracked down, and then leaned back in the seat and frowned. Leia had been on Coruscant, in Black Sun's lair, before she had gone missing. He pondered the possibilities for a moment – and then moved to stand up, only to crash down besides the sliding seat when he failed to find purchase on his remaining foot. He had completely forgotten about his missing leg!

His falling metal crutches landed with a cantankerous noise on the hard deck and, even before he had become aware of the slight pain of his own rough and unglorified landing on his behind, the fierce-looking features of Cakhmaim were besides him and checking over the situation.

"My lord! What happened? Are you all right?"

Slightly dazed from his unbecoming landing, Luke began to reassure the alien servant – when he caught sight of the wicked knife in the male's spindly hand.

He involuntarily started in shock and reflexively backed away to a safer distance from the dangerous and deadly imperial assassin. "Ah..." he did his best to retain his composure despite his subconscious dread of the alien's threatening figure. "Just a wrong step, sorry. I... I'm all right, now. Thanks."

Yet even as he said that, the Force twisted in his guts, informing him that it was far from alright; he grimaced at the sudden nausea that accompanied the abnormally intense warning.

"What is it, young Lord?" the nightmare-inducing Noghri inquired while he offered him a hand to right himself.

How..? "My other best friend has been captured as well," he sighed, aware that trying to keep a secret here would not be possible. However the Noghri did it, he knew when he wasn't truthful with him. "I need to speak with my father."

"Lord Vader informed us that he would be unavailable for the next hour or so, young Lord. He told us to show you to the living quarters and that he would meet you there after his meeting with medic Te So is complete."

Reigning in his initial frustration, the youth sighed in resignation and accepted the helping hand. "All right, then. I'll wait for him."

The sinewy-strong arm of the smaller alien seemed to effortlessly pull him back to his good foot where he could recover the crutches that Cakhmaim had already picked up and prepared for him. Seeing the efficience of the unknown alien at work, Luke once again understood why they were deemed worthy of special efforts in order to secure their indentured servitude for generations to come. They moved like shadowed liquid, silent and swift in even the simplest of movement.

They were killing machines through and through, but Luke could also see that the loyal and honour-bound sentient aliens were much, much more as well if only they could be allowed to nurture their talents in ways other than how to make them more efficient killers.

Undoubtedly, they would excel in anything that required stealth, but they could also excel in domains that required swift reflexes, such as piloting a fighter or any kind of fighting machine, and they were extremely intelligent.

They were also very kind to those they were allied to, but their primitive beastly features would never allow them to work in fields that took advantage of their kindness, or at least, if any of their people did, it would be quite a challenge for said individual as people judged a lot by the looks, and Noghri looked anything but friendly and caring.

He silently followed his guide out of the communication room and into the rest of the ship.

* * *

TBC

Well? How was that? How did you like Ani's precautions with Karrde's memories? Or Luke's reaction to all the deceitful approaches by all the Jedi he has known so far? How did you like the Noghri introduction and Luke's first interactions with them? How did you like Luke's conversation with Wedge? Or Anakin soothing Luke during his short breakdown?

And now, what do you think will happen? Will Luke go after Leia before they rescue Han? Will he wait for his father's help? Any other thoughts to share with me? Please?

Have a great month of June everyone, and remember that reviews are very precious presents at any time of the year or the week, and better than any treat that I can't eat anymore because of those new allergies :) Favorites and alerts are great, but reviews speak so much more! Please, pretty please?


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